Media Release Issued 01 November 2007/ no 52
Electricity Industry Reform Act: Commission grants exemption to The Lines Company
The Commerce Commission has granted The Lines Company Limited (TLC) a limited exemption under the Electricity Industry
Reform Act 1998 (the EIR Act) in relation to its proposed involvement in the development of a hydro-generation plant,
located on the Waikohu Stream near Gisborne.
The hydro-generation plant will be developed by TLC’s wholly owned subsidiary Matawai Hydro Limited (MHL). The limited
exemption to TLC is granted in respect of section 17 of the EIR Act in relation to the appointment of managers to the
board of MHL. The exemption is conditional on TLC not appointing more than two out of three directors to the Board of
MHL, and on TLC and MHL complying with rules 1 to 6 and 11 to 15 of the Arms Length Rules of the EIR Act.
The exemption is also conditional on the generation assets not being connected to TLC’s electricity lines networks, and
on TLC not selling the resulting electricity to customers located on its own network.
Ends