2018 TRIENNIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE HANDBOOK - Network Tasman
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2018 TRIENNIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE HANDBOOK
Contents
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
RELEVANT KEY DATES ARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TRUSTEE MEETINGS AND REMUNERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2018 ELECTION PROCESS SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ELIGIBILITY TO BE A TRUSTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
NOMINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
NOMINATION FORMS AND CLOSING DATE FOR NOMINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
CANDIDATE PROFILE STATEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
PROCEDURES AFTER THE CLOSE OF NOMINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ELECTION CAMPAIGNING and HOARDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CAMPAIGNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
ELECTION HOARDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 Network Tasman TrustINTRODUCTION
This booklet outlines information which may be of interest to you as a candidate for the
2018 Network Tasman Trust election.
The election is being conducted by postal voting with the election day being Thursday 16th
August 2018.
The election is conducted pursuant to the requirements and conditions of the Trust Deed.
The responsibility for carrying out the election has been contracted out to electionz.com
Ltd, an elections management company based in Christchurch. Anthony Morton from
electionz.com has been appointed as Returning Officer for Network Tasman Trust.
The Trust is administered by six trustees, three of whom retire by rotation this year.
Nominations are sought for the election of three trustees to hold office for the next three
years. Retiring trustees can stand for re-election if they choose.
RELEVANT KEY DATES ARE
Nominations Open 8 June 2018
Electoral Roll Closes 1 July 2018
Nominations Close 12 noon 6 July 2018
Delivery of Voting Papers 26-31 July 2018
Voting Closes 12 noon 16 August 2018
Results Available as soon as possible after 12 noon 16 August 2018
Official Declaration 22 August 2018
For further information or additional copies of this booklet or nomination papers, please
contact the election helpline by phone 0800 666 044 or email to iro@electionz.com.
Network Tasman Trust 3GENERAL INFORMATION
Trustees are required to act as diligent shareholders and in particular, to monitor the
performance of the Directors of Network Tasman Ltd (the Company) and exercise the rights
of the shareholders for the benefit of the Trust Fund and of the Qualifying customers as
beneficiaries.
The Trustees are required to appoint the Directors of Network Tasman Ltd.
The Trustees have no power, authority or discretion to participate in the management or
operation of the Company or any subsidiary except to the extent that may be necessary to
fulfil their obligations.
Network Tasman owns and operates the electricity distribution network in the wider Nelson
and Tasman areas, excluding Nelson Electricity’s supply area in Nelson city.
The Network Tasman electricity distribution network distributes power to approximately
37,000 consumer connections in an area of 10,800 sq km in the northwestern corner of the
South Island.
Total electricity distributed through the network is 767 GWh, with a peak load of 146 MW.
The area covered by the network is diverse, ranging from high consumer density urban
areas to remote rural areas with low consumer density.
Network Tasman distributes electricity to residential and commercial consumers within its
area from five separate networks (Transpower grid exit points).
Network Tasman’s mission is to operate low cost, open access networks that deliver
outstanding reliability and efficiency while maintaining shareholder value.
Network Tasman issues, after consultation with its shareholders, an annual statement of
corporate intent, which outlines the overall intentions and objectives that the company will
follow.
Network Tasman is wholly owned by a consumer trust - the Network Tasman Trust.
TRUSTEE MEETINGS AND REMUNERATION
Trustees meet approximately nine times a year and start their meetings with a 10 minute
public forum which is open to end users of Network Tasman’s electricity network.
Meetings start at 10am and typically take between 2 and 4 hours to complete. A schedule of
2018 meeting dates can be viewed from www.networktasman.co.nz/network-tasman-trust
Current Renumeration Levels are:
Chairman $25,513 per annum
Deputy Chairman $15,965 per annum
Other Trustees $12,772 per annum
Meeting allowance $200 whole day
$150 half day
4 Network Tasman Trust2018 ELECTION PROCESS SUMMARY
The 2018 election is being carried out under the full authority and discretion of the
Returning Officer pursuant to the Trust Deed. The decisions of the Returning Officer are final.
The Returning Officer function has been contracted to Anthony Morton from electionz.com.
electionz.com is an election management company based in Christchurch, providing
election management services to many public and private organisations in New Zealand.
If an election is required, it will be carried out by postal and internet voting to approximately
37,000 qualifying customers. Each qualifying customer receives a vote for each connection to
the network.
Processing and printing of the voting papers will be carried out by the Returning Officer.
The roll, along with the list of candidates, is sent to the mail house in mid July where the
voter packs including the voting paper, voter instructions, reply paid envelope and outer
envelope are prepared. The voter packs will then be lodged with NZ Post on 26th July 2018
for distribution to all electors by the 31st July 2018.
Once the completed votes are received by the Returning Officer either in the reply paid
envelopes or by a download of a file of internet votes cast, electors are marked off the roll as
having voted. The voting papers will then be progressively scanned and processed.
There is no provision in the Trust Deed for candidates to appoint scrutineers.
Voting closes at 12 noon Thursday 16th August 2018. It is anticipated that the election
result will be available by 2pm that day. The Returning Officer will advise all candidates of the
election result by phone or email.
All enquiries about the election results must be directed to the Returning Officer, Anthony
Morton, electionz.com, 0800 666 044.
Network Tasman Trust 5CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible to be elected as a Trustee, a candidate must be a “Consumer” as defined by
the Trust Deed.
The Trust Deed defines Consumers as:
(a) persons who, at any appropriate date designated by the Trustees, are named from
the records of the Company as persons whose premises have a direct, permanent
and metered connection to the Company’s electricity distribution network within the
District and who are either:
1. End use customers who are liable to the Company (whether alone or jointly or
with any other person) for the payment for line function services in relation to
electricity conveyed over the Company’s electricity distribution network; or
2. End use customers who are liable to an Electricity Supply Business (whether
alone or jointly or with any other person) which is liable to the Company for
the payment for line function services in relation to electricity conveyed over
the Company’s electricity distribution network,
unless any such person who qualifies as a consumer in accordance with this definition
advises the Company or the Trustees in writing that he, she or it does not wish to be a
consumer for the purposes of this Deed.
ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE
(a) Subject to (b) below, each Consumer on the Roll as at 1 July 2018 shall be entitled to
one (1) vote for each entry of that Consumers name on the Roll;
(b) each group of joint Consumers is entitled to one (1) vote between them, and anyone
in that joint group may exercise the vote of that joint group;
(c) a Consumer that is a company or is another incorporated or unincorporated body
(other than a joint Consumer) or is a local authority is entitled to exercise each of its
votes through a representative (who may also be a Consumer on the Roll and entitled
to exercise a personal vote).
ELIGIBILITY TO BE A TRUSTEE
Pursuant to Rule 2.7 of the Trust Deed, a person may not take office as a Trustee if he or
she is:
(a) a person who is an undischarged bankrupt;
(b) a person who has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty (within the meaning
of Section 4(2) of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003) and has been sentenced for that
crime within the last 7 years.
(c) a person who is prohibited from being a director, officer or promoter of, or being
concerned or taking part in the management of, an incorporated or unincorporated
body under the Companies Act 1993, the Securities Act 1978, the Financial Markets
Conduct Act 2013, or the Charities Act 2005;
6 Network Tasman Trust(d) a person who is subject to a property order made under the Protection of Personal
and Property Rights Act 1988, or whose property is managed by a trustee corporation
under section 32 of that Act.
(e) a person who is not an elector, or is not qualified to be an elector, for the purposes of
the Electoral Act 1993
(f) a person who is a director of, or is employed by the Company;
(g) if a person is an elected member or employee of any territorial Local Authority and
there are already two persons who are elected members or employees of a Local
Authority.
(h) a person who does not reside in the District.
[Candidates are required to sign the nomination form acknowledging that they meet the
requirements of Rule 2.7 of the Trust Deed.]
Network Tasman Trust 7NOMINATIONS
NOMINATION FORMS AND CLOSING DATE FOR NOMINATIONS
Nominations open on Friday 8th June 2018 and close at 12 noon on Friday 6th
July 2018.
A public notice calling for nominations will be listed in the Motueka Guardian, Nelson Leader,
Nelson Mail, Nelson Weekly, Tasman Leader and Waimea Weekly newspapers between 6th
and 13th June 2018.
Each nomination must be made on the appropriate official nomination form. Nomination
forms and Candidate Information Packs are available from the office of Craig Anderson CA,
270a Queen Street, Richmond, from Friday 8th June 2018, or from the Returning Officer on
0800 666 044 or iro@electionz.com
The nomination form should be accompanied by a candidate profile statement (maximum
of 150 words not including the candidate’s name) and a recent photo of the candidate. The
candidate’s Power account number (which appears on the power account) must be provided
on the nomination form, and a copy of the latest power a/c provided.
Each nomination paper must have the consent of the candidate and be nominated by two (2)
qualifying consumers whose names appear on the roll. A candidate cannot nominate himself
or herself. If a candidate is unable to sign the nomination paper (eg absent overseas), a letter
of consent signed by the candidate is acceptable to attach to the nomination paper.
If a candidate is commonly known in the community by a slightly different name (eg Edward
Smith is commonly known as Ted Smith) and has been known by this name for at least the
last six months (to the satisfaction of the Returning Officer), the commonly known name may
appear on the nomination paper and voting papers.
• Network Tasman Trust nomination papers can be lodged with the Returning Officer
direct at electionz.com, 3/3 Pukaki Rd, Christchurch, or
• by emailing scanned copies of the documents to nominations@electionz.com, or
• by delivering the completed forms to Craig Anderson CA, 270a Queen Street, Richmond,
Attention Alicia Chapman.
Once lodged, nomination papers are checked to ensure the candidate is eligible (name appears
on the roll) and the nominators are consumers whose names appear on the roll.
The lodgement of nomination papers should not be left to the last minute. Should a
nomination paper be lodged late on the day when nominations close, and be incorrectly
completed, or an ineligible nominator is provided, there may be insufficient time to correct the
situation and the nomination paper could be invalidated.
Nomination papers can be mailed to the Returning Officer, but should the Returning
Officer receive it after the close of nominations, the nomination is invalid. Delivery by mail
does not always give adequate opportunity to ensure the nomination is correct and is not
recommended. The preferred method is to scan and email the nomination documents to the
Returning Officer: nominations@electionz.com
Please do not leave lodging your nomination to the last minute!!
8 Network Tasman TrustCANDIDATE PROFILE STATEMENTS
Candidates are able to provide candidate profile statements with the completed nomination
paper. In the event an election is required these will be collated by the Returning Officer
and forwarded to Consumers with the voting papers.
Profile statements and candidate photos should be provided electronically by email. Please
email them to nominations@electionz.com.
The profile statements:
• Must not exceed 150 words (excluding the candidate’s name).
• Should be supplied electronically in MS Word or similar format.
• Must be confined to information concerning the candidate, and the candidate’s
policies and intentions if elected to the Trust.
The Returning Officer is not required to verify or investigate any information included in a
candidate profile statement, other than to verify any factual information about the Trust
or the Company. The Returning Officer will take no responsibility for the accuracy of the
content, however may suggest corrections to spelling or grammar if appropriate.
A disclaimer concerning the accuracy of the information contained in the statements will be
published in the profile statement document.
A recent photo should also be provided with the nomination paper. Photos should be
provided in colour. If supplied, hard copy photos will not be returned to candidates. Photos
supplied electronically should be a minimum of 300 dpi and supplied as a jpeg, ie .jpg
format.
PROCEDURES AFTER THE CLOSE OF NOMINATIONS
Confirmation of the accepted nomination will be given to each candidate by email as soon
as the nomination paper is verified.
After the close of nominations, the Returning Officer will advise each candidate by email of
the final nominations, along with additional information about the conduct of the election
(if required).
A list of confirmed candidates will be listed on the Trust website as soon as possible after
the close of nominations.
If an election is required, the Returning Officer will then collate the candidate profile
statements and photos into the Candidate Profile Document for distribution to electors with
the voting papers.
Candidate names will be printed on the voting paper in alphabetical order, surname first
then first name, eg: LAMPP, Warwick
Network Tasman Trust 9ELECTION CAMPAIGNING and HOARDINGS
CAMPAIGNING
Election campaigning can commence anytime but must cease by the close of voting at
12 noon on Thursday 16th August 2018.
Voting papers are not permitted to be collected from electors by candidates or their
assistants. Each elector is expected to post or deliver his or her own voting paper to the
Returning Officer, or vote online.
No election material may contain an imitation voting paper which has the names of the
candidates with any direction or indication as to the candidate a person should vote for, or
in any way contains such direction or indication likely to influence the voter.
No election material can contain any untrue statement defamatory of any candidate and
calculated to influence the vote of any elector.
No election material may include any use of the Network Tasman Trust or Network Tasman
Ltd logo or letterhead.
ELECTION HOARDINGS
Any queries regarding election signs must be made to the respective district or city councils.
Each council has their own specific rules regarding placement and sizes of elections
hoardings and signs etc.
All signs or structures must be removed by midnight Thursday 16th August 2018 at the
latest.
10 Network Tasman TrustNetwork Tasman Trust 11
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