Kaiarahi of Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi appointed to Top Energy Board positions

Two Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi (TRAION) kaiarahi have been appointed to Top Energy Board positions.

Nicole Anderson, whose Board roles across Te Tai Tokerau include Trustee of TRAION representing the Takiwā of Ngā Ngaru o Hokianga, has been appointed to the Board of Top Energy Ltd, while TRAION’s Projects and Relationships Lead Donna Tūkāriri is one of three new appointments to the Top Energy Consumer Trust board. While we at TRAION would love to take some credit for this double achievement, we can’t – Nicole and Donna earned their positions on their own merits, but we are nonetheless very proud of them and have every confidence they will serve their respective boards and their communities well.

Mihi to Top Energy for the following media releases.

New Trustees appointed to Top Energy Consumer Trust

A new trustee, Donna Tūkāriri, has been appointed to the Top Energy Consumer Trust board for a four year term.

Donna fills one of the three positions which became vacant at the end of March 2021, as a result of the provisions of the trust’s Deed. The other two positions were filled by Chair Yvonne Sharp and Deputy Chair Hugh Ammundsen, both retiring trustees at the end of the previous four years.

Donna Tūkāriri has served her community over many years through her involvement in organisations such as the Ngāwhā Marae Trustee Komiti and Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services.

She currently works for Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi. While part of the Ngāwhā Marae Trustee Komiti Donna had extensive involvement with Top Energy in relation to the recently completed Ngāwhā geothermal power station extension project (OEC4).

Donna was closely involved with receiving the ancient swamp kauri log recently gifted to Ngāwhā Marae by Top Energy. The log has recently been identified as contributing to international understanding of environmental changes which occurred about 42,000 years ago. You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaFZ5liPIE

Trustee positions are filled, from a shortlist, by a Selection Panel comprising Kelvin Davis (MP for Te Tai Tokerau), Willow-Jean Prime (MP for Northland) and Penny Smart (Chair, Northland Regional Council). Nominations were called for the three positions late last year and those appointed by the Panel began their four year term on 1 April 2021.

The three trustees appointed by the Panel join the continuing trustees, Bruce Mathieson and Ken Rintoul. The five Trustees represent the 31,000 consumers connected to Top Energy’s network and are responsible for appointing the directors of Top Energy, assessing their performance and annually negotiating a Statement of Corporate Intent which sets out the objectives of the Company.

The trustees have previously considered the request from Top Energy to approve the business case for the construction of OEC4, a Major Transaction involving nearly $200m, probably the largest investment in the Far North in recent memory.

A new director has been appointed to the Board of Top Energy

A new director has been appointed to the Board of Top Energy Ltd, the power generator and electricity distributor in the Far North.

The appointment has been announced by Yvonne Sharp, Chair of the Top Energy Consumer Trust, which holds the shares in the company on behalf of the power consumers in the Far North.

Nicole Anderson has been appointed to the Board from 1 April 2021. Nicole lives in Kerikeri and has close links with a number of local organisations, including as a member of the board of Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi, Director of Northland Polytechnic and Northland Inc and a Crown appointed member of the Northland District Health Board, chairing the finance committee. In addition, Nicole has been a director of Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac) since 2014.

Nicole’s background has been in accounting, management and business development and she is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

Yvonne Sharp said “Nicole brings a wealth of governance experience to the Top Energy Board, as well as having close links to the Far North, including with a number of Maori organisations. Her appointment as a member of the Accreditation Council illustrates her interest in providing quality education opportunities and developing young people; a particular interest of Top Energy, through such groups as the YES Foundation and the Science Fair run in secondary schools in the Far North.”