The Bay Chronicle

Northpower customers urged to have a say

-

The Northpower Electric Power Trust is encouragin­g consumers connected to Northpower’s electricit­y network in Kaipara and Whangārei to now make submission­s on the ownership model of the company.

Northpower Electric Power Trust chairperso­n

Erc Angelo says people have until 4pm tomorrow to have their say on the five yearly Northpower Ownership Review.

Public meetings to discuss the Ownership Review were held in March at Dargaville, Mangawhai and Whangārei, along with a Zoom meeting.

‘‘The Northpower Electric Power Trust Deed requires that options for the future ownership of shares in Northpower be reviewed every five years,’’ Angelo says.

‘‘The trustees of the Northpower Trust must carry out a consultati­on process with Northpower consumers to determine if the current trust ownership structure is what consumers want, or if consumers would prefer a change.’’

People can make submission­s by emailing nept@plusca.co.nz or by collecting a submission form and ownership review document from Plus Chartered

Accountant­s at 134 Bank St, Whangārei. Alternativ­ely, people can call Brent Martin or Julie Noel at Plus Chartered Accountant­s on (09) 438 3322 or email nept@plusca.co.nz to request an informatio­n pack. The ownership review document is available at Plus Chartered Accountant­s or at northpower.com.

People wanting to speak to their submission can do so at a public hearing at 11am on Thursday, May 26, at McKay

Stadium (Sport Northland, 97 Western Hills Drive, Whangārei).

A meeting of Northpower Electric Power Trust trustees and Northpower directors will be held on Thursday, June 9, at Plus CA Pavilion at 11am, where a decision on the ownership review will be made. This meeting is open to the public for observatio­n only.

Currently, seven trustees – Angelo (chairperso­n), Sheena McKenzie (deputy chairperso­n), Chris Biddles, Irene Durham, Phil Heatley, Bill Rossiter, and Paul Yovich – hold all the shares in Northpower on behalf of the trust’s beneficiar­ies (electricit­y consumers connected to the Northpower electricit­y network).

In 1992, the Government passed legislatio­n that required Northpower to become a company. When the company was incorporat­ed in 1993, the trust was formed to hold all the shares in Northpower on behalf of electricit­y consumers connected to the Northpower electricit­y network in Kaipara and Whangārei. This resulted in the ownership of the company remaining in the community.

 ?? FILE ??
FILE

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand