‘In remembrance of the valiant service of HMNZS Moa on the 75th Anniversary of her loss to enemy action 7 April 1943. With warmest regards and respect. The men and women of the Royal New Zealand Navy’.  These are the words inscribed on a plaque now resting in the memorial garden at Henderson. Following a memorial service on board the patrol boat Lata at Tulagi harbour, the delegation then made their way to Henderson memorial garden where the plaque was unveiled. Speaking during the event, John Utting, relative of a late crew member of the HMNZS Moa was very emotional when he spoke on behalf of their family members. Mr. Utting thanked and conveyed his family’s appreciation for this gesture where a memoir for those that died on board the HMNZS Moa can be seen and reflected on by those visiting the garden. 7th April is a very significant date for the Utting family as it marks the time when HMNZS Moa T233 was bombed and sunk in Tulagi harbour during World wa...

BY GEORGINA KEKEA IT was a cool quiet morning and the sea in Tulagi harbour was calm and peaceful when we arrived in the Central Islands Province on board the Patrol Boat Lata. Only a few canoes can be seen with smiling faces from the locals probably on their way to their gardens or doing some other Saturday chores. It was so calm and peaceful that during the memorial program when the last bugle call was played, one can even imagine how it must have been for the seamen on board the HMNZS Moa when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft 75 years ago.   It was on 7 April 1943, while refueling from an American oil barge Erskine M. Phelps at Tulagi Harbour when the anchorage came under attack. Both vessels were caught by surprise and Moa suffered a direct hit and sunk within four minutes. Five seamen died and 15 were wounded. On this occasion for the memorial service, family members of one of the late seamen, travelled all over from New Zealand to attend this memo...

BY GEORGINA KEKEA RECENTLY the Solomon Islands government has launched a report on climate change disaster risk finance assessment. With that report, a number of recommendations has been highlighted to which one of them is to establish a Climate Change Finance unit within the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT).  Climate Change Finance Adviser of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Exsley Taloiburi who had played a key role in the assessment says at the moment a number of projects are in the process of recruiting a climate finance officer and a technical assistance expert to help set up the unit. “So this week while we are here with the number of projects that are here, we have also undertaken the interviews for the Climate Finance Officer position which will initially be recruited by the projects but is expected to be absorbed by the Ministry after the project funding comes to an end”, Taloiburi says. Ministry of Finance (Photo credit MOFT) ...