More than 250,000 people will soon have the opportunity to elect trustees to represent New Zealand's largest elected consumer trust, the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT).

Nominations for the AECT's triennial election open on Wednesday July 30 and will remain open for one month until 5pm Friday August 29. Voting documents will then be posted out on Wednesday October 15 and eligible consumers will have until 5pm on Friday October 31 to vote on who will represent the Trust for the next three years.

AECT executive officer Gary Sturgess said the election is a unique opportunity for consumers to have a direct influence on the direction of the Trust, which is one of the largest infrastructure investors in the country.

"The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust has an important role to play in terms of representing consumers at both a community and national level, and I would encourage all eligible participants to be involved in the election," Mr Sturgess said.

For consumers interested in standing for election, nomination papers will be available from the Returning Officer (Independent Election Services) or the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust offices, or by telephoning 0800 922822

The Trust has also established a special information section on its website www.aect.co.nz .

The AECT is the owner of network infrastructure company VECTOR Ltd. VECTOR Ltd pays an annual dividend to the AECT and the Trust then distributes these dividends to eligible consumers within a defined district. That district is the electricity supply area of the former Auckland Electric Power Board and covers all of the Auckland City Council and the Manukau City Council areas and parts of the Papakura District Council area.

Five trustees are elected to the Trust and the current trustees are Mike Buczkowski, John Collinge, Karen Sherry, Coralie van Camp and Pauline Winter.

In the last year the Trust has paid more than $40 million worth of dividends to consumers in the form of rebates on electricity bills. It also played an important role in helping facilitate the $10m Vector invests each year in undergrounding power lines.

Election Details In Brief

The 2003 election to fill five trustee positions will occur by postal ballot concluding on Friday 31 October 2003.

Consumers may nominate suitable candidates for election. Nominations open on Wednesday 30 July 2003 and close at 5 pm on Friday 29 August 2003.

Nomination papers will be available during this nomination period from:

§ The Returning Office, Independent Election Services Ltd, Ground Floor, Bledisloe House, 24 Wellesley Street West, Auckland;

§ The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust office, Fourth Floor, Public Trust House, 101 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket;

§ Telephone 0800 922822 to have one posted out; Download from www.aect.co.nz

Candidates must be aged over 18 years, be resident in the district and be a consumer of VECTOR Ltd.

Those eligible to vote at this election will be consumers of VECTOR Ltd within the district as at the close of the Roll at midnight Sunday 7 September 2003.

Voting documents will be sent to all eligible consumers, by post, from Wednesday 15 October 2003.

Only one voting document will be issued to each consumer, no matter how many connection points or properties a consumer may have. For joint consumers (e.g. where the power account is in more than one name), only one voting document will be issued.

Consumers may post their completed voting documents back to the Returning Officer using the pre-paid envelope provided. Completed voting documents may also be hand delivered during the voting period to a ballot box at the Returning Office, Independent Election Services Ltd, Ground Floor, Bledisloe House, 24 Wellesley Street West, Auckland;

To be counted, all completed voting documents must be in the hands of the Returning Officer by 5pm, Friday 31 October 2003.

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