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For immediate release 3 October 2006
Embargoed until 7.30am Tuesday 3 October 2006
Land owners and occupiers get access to independent dispute
resolution
You urgently need to know if you can stop
planned lines maintenance on your land because you have had
to move sensitive lambing ewes into the area - who do you
call?
As from 1 October 2006 the office of the
Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner offers a free
service for resolving disputes between owners and occupiers
of land and electricity lines companies (including Transpower
New Zealand), and gas distribution companies.
Today (Tuesday 3 October 2006) Energy Minister
Hon David Parker marked the addition of a land code to the
commissioner scheme at a breakfast event in Wellington attended
by people from the electricity and gas industries, consumer
advocate groups, other consumer complaints schemes, Federated
Farmers and relevant Government ministries (Consumer Affairs,
Economic Development, Social Development, Electricity Commission).
Electricity and gas lines and distribution
companies that belong to the scheme agree to uphold minimum
standards for fair and reasonable dealings with land owners
and occupiers as set out in the land code.
The commissioner, Judi Jones, can look into
complaints arising from the activities of electricity and
gas companies that relate to dealings between them and land
owners and occupiers. These may include actions of lines and
distribution companies' staff and contractors while on the
land and access to and use of the land occupied by lines and
distribution equipment.
"Companies have their own complaints process
and land owners and occupiers should take up complaints with
the company first," Judi Jones says. "If the matter reaches
deadlock, then the customer can bring the complaint to my
office."
Jones says her office has spent the past
year preparing for the addition of a land code, with staff
training covering anticipated issues that may arise. The Wellington
city-based office has bought a supply of gumboots - which
staff wore to the launch event - to indicate a readiness to
visit sites where required.
The addition of the land code means Transpower
New Zealand has joined the commissioner scheme. Transpower
owns and operates New Zealand's high voltage electricity network,
the national grid. However, the commissioner cannot look into
complaints about the placement or upgrading of the national
grid, or into any liability by Transpower for quality of supply
problems.
ENDS
Land Code
The office can investigate situations that
come within the definition of "Land Complaint".
There are areas that the office cannot look
into. These can be summarised as:
- Whether electricity or gas works were lawfully installed
- Whether a company had the legal right to have lines equipment
installed in, under, over or across land*
- Ownership of particular lines equipment*
- The construction or maintenance of lines equipment in,
under, over, along, or across roads and level crossings
- The negotiations and other processes for obtaining an
interest in land in relation to lines equipment
- Dispensations (and their refusals) from the Electricity
(Hazards From Trees) Regulations 2003
- The adequacy of a lines company's maintenance programme
- Whether any replacements or upgrades of electricity works
have adversely affected land
- Whether changes to lines equipment have adversely affected
land, including the amount (if any) of compensation payable
- The quality of electricity or gas supplied, and any interruption
in that supply or in lines company services **
* The exclusion
applies where construction of lines equipment commenced before
1 October 2006.
** The commissioner may be able to investigate under the Electricity
or Gas Consumer Codes of Practice.
A complete list of exclusions as set out
in clause 1.3 of the Constitution for the Electricity and
Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme is available on request
or at: www.egcomplaints.co.nz
For more information contact:
Josie Vidal
Publicity/Communications Officer,
Electricity Complaints Commission.
Tel: (04) 914 4526
0274 757 305
e-mail: j.vidal@electricitycomplaints.co.nz
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