New Zealand / Regional

Centre right keeps grip on Akld energy trust

18:57 pm on 31 October 2015

The centre-right has retained control of the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust, winning all five seats in the latest triennial election.

Four existing trustees running under the Citizens and Ratepayers banner were returned, with a fifth member, former National MP Paul Hutchison, succeeding a retiring trustee.

Those returned were Mike Buzckowski, William Cairns, James Carmichael and Karen Sherry.

Two former Cabinet ministers, Judith Tizard and Paul East, were among the unsuccessful.

The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT) owns 75 percent of the listed lines company Vector on behalf of the company's customers in central and south Auckland.

It dispenses an annual dividend of about $100 million to those consumers.

This year, more than 300,000 Auckland households received an annual dividend of $345, representing the ninth annual increase in a row.

Only 12.84 percent of the 294,254 eligible electors voted for the trustees.

You can see the full results [here http://www.electionservices.co.nz/site/electionservices/files/pdf_files/AECT-PressRel-FinalResult-301015.pdf.]