The Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee is calling for public submissions on the Trust Horizon (Trust Variation) Bill. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 9 April 2026.

The bill seeks to amend the terms of the Horizon Trust, to broaden its objects from energy related purposes to charitable purposes, and to allow the terms of the trust to be varied with the approval of the High Court.

Trust Horizon is a charitable trust established as part of the reforms to the energy sector carried out by the Energy Companies Act 1992. The Trust’s objects are currently limited to energy related purposes within Whakatāne, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, and Kaingaroa. However, there is a natural limit to the number of energy related purposes that can be supported within the district. As a result, the annual total amount of grants approved by the Trust has remained largely static over the last 30 years. This has resulted in the Trust accumulating equity that it is unable to distribute. The Trust now has more than $200 million in assets.

Tell the Social Services and Community committee what you think about this bill

Make a submission on the bill here by 11.59pm on 9 April 2026. More information about making submissions generally is available here: How to make a submission - New Zealand Parliament.

For more details about the bill:

• Read the full content of the bill
• Get more details about the bill
• Read what was said in Parliament about the bill
• Watch what was said in Parliament about the bill

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