8 Aug 2005

Court annuls New Caledonian travel allowance

11:27 am on 8 August 2005

A court in New Caledonia has annulled a provision by the territorial government to limit an air travel subsidy to those who have lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years.

The new government formed last year proposed to grant subsidies as part of efforts to give residents more mobility.

It had presented the plan as part of an effort to give substance to the concept of New Caledonian citizenship.

But an administrative tribunal in Noumea acted on an appeal by the French high commission and local groups and banned the provision.

The funds for the subsidy is being provided by the French state to overseas territories which in turn have to define how they want to disburse the money.