AECT Consumers Need To Be Quick To Make Their Votes Count

Auckland, October 28 – Consumers are being urged to act quickly if they want to make their votes count in the election of New Zealand’s largest elected consumer trust, the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT).

Eligible consumers only have until this Friday, October 31 to get their votes into the Returning Officer.

Consumer beneficiaries of the trust are entitled to vote for up to 5 trustees to represent them. Voting documents have been mailed out to consumers and need to be returned to the Returning Officer by no later than 5 p.m. on Friday.

AECT executive officer Gary Sturgess noted the election is too important for beneficiaries to miss the opportunity to vote.

“The returns to date indicate a lot of people have not yet placed their votes and I would encourage them to take a few minutes to fill in their voting documents and get them in,” Mr Sturgess said.

The AECT owns Vector, New Zealand’s largest network infrastructure company, which has a portfolio of businesses and services delivering electricity, gas, and high-speed broadband voice and data communications in the Auckland and Wellington regions.

The Trust represents more than 258,000 consumer beneficiaries, who are electricity users in Auckland City, Manukau City and parts of Papakura District.

For consumers who still have not posted their vote back, the Trust has established a special information section on its website www.aect.co.nz, including information about each of the 17 candidates and general information about the trust and its activities.

Election Details In Brief

Voting documents for the Trust’s triennial election of five trustees have been delivered to just under 258,000 consumers of electricity within the AECT consumer area (all of Auckland City, Manukau City, and part of Papakura District).

One voting document has been issued to each consumer, no matter how many connection points or properties a consumer may have. For joint consumers (e.g. where the power account is in more than one name), only one voting document will be issued.

Consumers are required to post their completed voting documents back to the Returning Officer using the pre-paid envelope provided. Completed voting documents may also be hand delivered during the voting period to a ballot box at the Returning Office, Independent Election Services Ltd, Ground Floor, Bledisloe House, 24 Wellesley Street West, Auckland;

To be counted, all completed voting documents must be in the hands of the Returning Officer by 5pm, Friday 31 October 2003.

ENDS

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