For the next month 47,082 residents from the south of Kapiti to the north of Horowhenua have an opportunity to vote for trustees of Electra Trust.

Established Horowhenua resident and first time Electra Trust candidate Veronica Harrod said voting for trustees in the energy sector is arguably more important than voting in local body elections - yet so few residents exercise that right.

"At the last Electra Trust elections in 2024 only 3,868 of 47,082 residents voted.. That represents only 8.38 percent of voters."

This is despite Horowhenua and Kapiti voters being in quite a unique position because Electra Trust is one of only about 20 owned by a trust nationwide.

"The rest are mainly company owned which means you would have to be a shareholder to have any say at all."

Ms Harrod said one of the biggest reasons for residents becoming more involved in what Electra Trust does is because all the experts are telling us society is at a crossroads in energy availability and sustainability.

"We already feel it with the fuel price crisis and with our electricity bills too that keep going up and up partly to match lines increases."

Ms Harrod thinks it is imperative to make live streaming and video-on-demand options available to voters when Annual General Meetings (AGM'S) are held to encourage participation - and allow participants to ask questions online,

"As someone who has attended Electra Trust AGM's they are always held in the middle of the day in Levin whereas voters live across the motu and often have a lot of responsibilities which can make physical attendance difficult."

She said, "I don't have any conflicts of interest to manage which means I would be able to dedicate myself solely to representing the interests of residents."

"I would also like to see all trustees undergo trustee training as there are many legal responsibilities trustees require knowledge about including under the Trustees Act 2019, the Energy Companies Act 1992 and the Electricity Industry Act 2010."

Finally she said it is not good enough that the number women employed by Electra Lines, the trading company of Electra Trust, has remained stubbornly at 20 percent.

"A pathway to a good trade is a way for women to achieve financial security. I hope I am not the only candidate trustee who thinks this inequity needs to be corrected."

According to the latest annual report available on the Electra Trust website the Electra Group was worth an estimated $318 million as at 31 March 2025 .

"Let's make sure such a valuable community asset is working for the residents connected to our local electricity infrastructure," said Ms Harrod.

© Scoop Media