The Niue Girls Brigade and Niue Met Office join efforts to improve public awareness using billboards
A launch and blessing of 7 billboards was held this afternoon at the Millennium hall as part of the Niue met office project with community groups the Niue girls and boys’ brigades.
It is timely and appropriate that more public information is readily available and visible to the public, information that is crucial during cyclone season, which started this month and will last until April next year.
The Director of the Niue Met Office Mrs Rossy Mitiepo explained that the project is part of a community engagement initiative to produce information boards displaying different climate information especially around cyclone awareness.
The village brigades began working on the boards two months ago and today they were all displayed at the foyer of the Millennium hall.
A small gathering of senior public servants including the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Ida Hekesi, the Chief of police, and the officials of the national disaster management office joined the leaders of the Niue girls brigade to witness the launch.
The billboard located at the Millennium hall was unveiled by the President of the Ekalesia Niue Rev. Nuka Tauevihi and the minister of Natural resources Hon. Mona Ainuu. The board shows the phases of the El Nino southern oscillation (ENSO) painted by the Liku brigade.
On the other side is the board with the Niue tropical cyclone alert colours painted by the Lakepa and Mutalau brigades.
According to Mrs Misiepo the other billboards will be erected in front of the Joint Police & Emergency operations centre at Fonuakula and at the Hanan international airport.
Mrs Misiepo said that they are thankful to the Ekalesia Kerisiano Niue for allowing the billboard to be erected at their headquarters in Alofi and also recognise the traditional landowner, the Ekalesia of Alofi for permission to have the board there.
The project is funded by the various international organisations including the World Meteorological Organisation and the Regional Environment program SPREP.
