Securing the wellbeing of an island paradise

Aitutaki is an idyllic destination for honeymooners, sitting 200km north of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands it’s famed for its picturesque lagoon but there are problems in paradise.

The truth is like a lot of Pacific Islands the health of those turquoise waters is deteriorating, septic tanks and a landfill are leaching contaminantes, increasing tourism developments are restricting coastal access for locals, there are few recreational facilities for them and the island relies heavily on imported foods and fuel.

Recently the Cook Islands Government has approved a first ever spatial plan, setting the strategic direction that will enable the island communities to work together in a self-sufficient way to protect, manage and develop their environment.

The Cook Islands Government has approved a first ever spatial plan for Aitutaki.

“This isn’t a growth strategy,” says Garth Falconer, who’s company Reset Urban Design Limited teamed with Rarotonga based architect Romani Katoa to develop the plan. “This is to ensure the social, environmental, economic and cultural wellbeing of the people of Aitutaki now and for future generations.”

With a small permanent population of around 1700 Aitutaki is much more than an island resort, it’s home to a distinct people of the Cook Islands with a strong heritage, Falconer says. It has a main island, which is a volcanic formation with elevation and 15 low lying motus (islets).

This solar power installation provides half the islands power. It was previously solely driven by diesel generator.

When looking to the future, he says, the challenge is working with a fragile environment, dealing and the surge of tourism and championing the aspirations of the local people. “Just before COVID they were having ocean cruise boats stopping and ferrying people in, and the cruise operators were saying ‘if you dynamite the channel and open it up wider and excavate, we can bring the cruise boats into the lagoon.’

“There were people on the island saying ‘if we do that we’re going to get swamped by tourists and their operators’. It is one of those places that really shows the effects of globalisation, being connected, being attractive and being concerned as a tourist experience.”

As part of his research Falconer made around eight trips to Aitutaki, getting to know people , and what was important to them. One of their  biggest issues in recent years has been  is the declining population because their youngsters are heading off to the bright lights where there’s more opportunities, excitement and money. So the people left there are older, retired though there are  some who have come back bringing great ideas and resources..

“For instance every year the Ashburton freezing works sends up a representative to Aitutaki because for decades they’ve had this relationship where they take these young men back to Ashburton to work, and a lot of them don’t come back because they want to buy a car, buy a house ….maybe?.”

The island council with mayor Tekura Bishop (in the middle). Garth Falconer is on his right.

His team also spent a lot of time researching the work agencies like UNESCO were doing with with other small tropical islands around the world who faced similar situations and influences. “We were looking at work that allowed for the autonomy of the people, for their voice, values and qualities to be reflected in the plan. Providing easy to understand communication and processes, and practical solutions to everyday things like waste disposal and water storage.

In those areas he drew on the work of New Zealand community companies like Wastebusters in Wanaka and Xtreme Waste in Raglan who have virtually eliminated landfill for their small towns through reuse, recycling and other strategies.

His team also looked to Nelson for water storage solutions. “It’s a big issue (for Aitutaki) because they only get rainfall for three months of the year so the rest of the year they’re pretty much on their own.”

Building design was another big issue. “Simple elements like having overhanging eves which cool down a building. After one of the big cyclones a well meaning agency had come in and provided a whole lot of concrete buildings that had no eves on them, had small doorways and windows so they just heated up so much people couldn’t sleep in them at night. It was total disaster.”

Falconer admits that to begin with many islanders viewed the idea of having any sort of plan with suspicion. “(They were saying)What are you trying to impose on us? Are you trying to restrict us? What’s this Government doing etc ?

“So a big part of it to start off with was getting across that hurdle – but we approached everything with openness and no predetermined solutions.  The process took longer and with the support of the Island Council we are get out to all the main villages and to build good relationships which are the foundation of the plan .”

Attitudes have definitely changed now though. “It’s been an amazing turnover. I had an email from Romani Katoa, who is now a project manager from the Cook Islands Government, and he said it’s really funny now because everyone has taken ownership of the plan; it’s their plan and they’ve always supported it,” Falconer laughs. “Which is great. The naysayers have turned round. Expectations are high now for  delivery  on it.”

With a motivated Island Council and the support of mayor Tekura Bishop, who he says has really  pushed the plan along, he’s confident that’ll happen despite COVID interruptions. A first stage of redeveloping the Arutanga harbour has already begun and a solar power installation is being increased to replace diesel generators for the islands supply.