A quarterly update for iwi, hapū and Māori with interests in the energy and resources sector.
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Nau mai, haere mai ki Pānui – Energy and Resource Markets
This is a quarterly update that covers relevant information for iwi, hapū and Māori with interests in the energy and resources sector, and provides opportunities to share your views directly with the Energy and Resource Markets branch.
The Energy and Resource Markets branch is part of The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
MBIE senior project and investment advisor Brian Vass visits Kokohinau Marae Papakāinga Trust chair Hemana Eruera, Tu Mai Rā energy manager Matiu Taurau, Kokohinau Marae Papakāinga Trust trustees Rihi Vercoe and Trina Hayes.
Te Teko homes running on solar
5 papakāinga homes in the Bay of Plenty settlement of Te Teko are now powered by solar energy, bringing cheaper power bills and helping residents keep warm over winter.
Extra electricity from the solar panels will soon be shared with 2 other houses at the marae, as well as any new houses in the papakāinga.
Each home is also fitted with inverters enabling residents to see real-time electricity use, indicating where savings could be made.
The initiative is being run by Kokohinau Marae Papakāinga Trust with support through MBIE’s Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund.
Trust chair Hemana Eruera said the five houses with solar panels have been “the envy of many visitors locally and nationally who have visited the site” and the Trust has been overwhelmed by inquiries.
“The attitude of the kaumātua tenants living in the homes have been lifted and all are awaiting excitedly for the eventual hook-up, and are looking forward to the big difference it will make.”
The Trust was awarded $300,000 for the project that aims to support energy affordability for kaumātua and whānau in the papakāinga.
The Trust built the homes to provide accommodation for those displaced by the 2017 Edgecumbe floods. Mr Eruera said those residents had since found more permanent accommodation and the Trust planned to build further houses nearby to house people in need.
Mr Eruera said Tū Mai Ra Energy, the Māori-owned energy solutions company that installed the equipment, have done a “magnificent” job. Tū Mai Ra Energy is running workshops so residents can use data from their home inverters to be more energy efficient.
Better accommodating Māori interests under the Crown Minerals Act 1991
The Minister of Energy and Resources recently agreed for officials to work on a suite of changes, to better accommodate Māori interests under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA). This includes changes to the way New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (NZP&M) operates, the Minerals and Petroleum Programmes, and the CMA itself. Following the release of the Discussion Document on the CMA Review in 2019, MBIE received a number of quality submissions from hapū and iwi on how improvements could be made.
Read the discussion document on the CMA Review
This work builds on the chapter on ‘Māori engagement and involvement in Crown minerals’. Some of the themes from submissions on this chapter included:
- Crown engagement is inadequate;
- Engagement between permit holders/applicants and hapū and iwi is variable;
- Protection for sites of significance is insufficient; and
- Resourcing constraints affect the capacity of hapū and iwi to engage.
Broader concerns have also been raised by iwi relating to the Crown’s ownership and control of Crown-owned minerals and petroleum, and the Crown’s right to collect and use royalties. While these concerns are out of scope for this review, MBIE has passed this information on to the Minister.
As the review progresses, MBIE welcomes further discussions with all interested Treaty partners.
If you would like to discuss this work further, you can email Resource.Markets.Policy@mbie.govt.nz
Power bill changes bring fairness to charges
Watch this video to learn more about low fixed charges – youtube.com
Changes to household power bills are on the way as regulations which require power companies to offer a ‘low fixed charge’ to low-use households will begin to be phased-out from April next year.
The regulations are well known to be problematic. While they help some vulnerable households, they can push others, such as those with large families or in poorly insulated homes, into greater hardship.
This change was a key recommendation of the independent Electricity Price Review.
About 60% of households are likely to benefit from lower power bills, and all consumers are expected to benefit in the longer term.
Fixed charges are the daily charge on power bills that go towards distributing electricity; households then pay for the power they use on top of that. The regulations require power companies to offer low‑user plans with a fixed charge of no more than $0.30/day, however these come with much higher charges for the actual power used.
Phasing-out the regulations will create a fairer, more equitable system, while also making it easier for the electricity industry to develop new pricing plans that can help keep costs down for consumers as demand for electricity grows.
Industry has committed $5 million for a power credits scheme to help low-use households who may face higher power bills during the phase-out.
The government is working with industry to develop the details of this scheme.
Consultation on proposed infringement offences for minerals and petroleum permit holders
On 28 September consultation opened on proposed infringement offence regulations under the Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (the Bill).
MBIE is now asking for feedback on the proposed regulations relating to infringement offences and the associated infringement fees. These would apply to both petroleum and minerals permit holders.
Infringement offences proposed relate to failures to:
- submit information, records and reports within the time specified, or by the due date
- provide royalty returns and failure to pay a royalty by the due date
- make required payments, such as annual fees, within the time specified or by the due date
- notify the regulator of change of address and telephone number, within the time specified
MBIE regulates the Petroleum and Minerals industry using the VADE model
The proposed fee for non-compliance with these requirements is a maximum of $1,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a body corporate, as provided for under the Bill.
Submissions close at 5pm on 19 October 2021
Full details on proposals for regulations and how to submit your feedback can be found on the MBIE website.
Further information
5 community leaders appointed to new Energy Hardship Expert Panel
Keri Brown, chair of Energy Hardship Expert Panel
Keri Brown (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Mahana), Hutt City Council councillor, DHB board member and former national advisor to Family Start programme has been appointed chair of the new Energy Hardship Expert Panel.
Joining her on the independent panel are Pacific health leader Dr Amanda-Lanuola Dunlop, beneficiary advocate Kay Brereton, former electricity executive Kevin Angland, and Helen Leahy, head of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, the Whānau OraCommissioning Agency for the South Island.
The Panel was appointed by Ministers and will recommend policy priorities and actions to alleviate energy hardship to government, and provide impartial, evidence-based expert advice.
Find out more about the energy hardship expert panel and reference group
Regional Māori Business Meetings
MBIE will be leading a series of Regional Māori Business Meetings (RMBM) around the country scheduled for late October and early November. More than 500 people attended the 10 RMBM during late 2018 and early 2019, so early registrations of interest is highly recommended. The focus of these meetings will be the different types of funding available for Māori business, science and innovation. Te Puni Kōkiri will be joining MBIE, looking to identify what pain points or stumbling blocks exist for Māori striving to grow their business or economic development for the wider Māori whānau, hapū and iwi.
Various MBIE teams will be on hand to discuss a range of initiatives, including:
- Online Pākihi programme, resources and business support
- $2 million Vision Mātauranga fund
- Kānoa seeding fund
- The Industry Training Framework
Indicative locations and dates below:
- Wednesday 20 October – Whangarei
- Thursday 21 October – Rotorua
- Thursday 28 October – Napier
- Friday 29 October – Gisborne
- Monday 1 November – Invercargill
- Tuesday 2 November – Dunedin
- Thursday 4 November – New Plymouth
Register your interest for the Regional Māori Business Meetings 2021
