Consumer Advocacy Council members appointed

The 4 appointees are:

• Desiree Mahy (Tūhoe); currently the Manukura (Chair) of Te Hou Ora Whanau Services, a Director of Thankyou Payroll Limited, a Director of Pāmu and a Trustee of the Happy You Charitable Trust. Desiree is also the principal of Tika Tonu Limited.
• Jessica Wilson; currently Principal Adviser - Media Content in Communications, Marketing and Engagement at Victoria University.
• Nanette Moreau Hammond; currently the Chair of the Advertising Standards Authority Appeal Board.
• Norman Evans; most recently the General Manager, Southland and Otago Regional Engineering Collective from 2021-2022.

Together, these 4 appointees bring a broad range of experience in the consumer affairs and advocacy area, particularly in the area of energy which is a key focus for the Council. They will join Chairperson Deborah Hart, who was appointed in July 2021.

Each appointment is made for a term of 3 years, from 5 July 2022.

The Consumer Advocacy Council was established to be the trusted, credible, authoritative and independent advocate for residential and small business electricity consumers. Its role is to advocate on behalf of these consumers by providing evidenced-based advocacy on policy and regulatory consultations, and in decision-making processes.

It was established in response to the Electricity Price Review (EPR) finding that residential households and small businesses struggle to make their voices heard and exert influence over decisions affecting them in the electricity sector.

Read about the Electricity Price Review:

Electricity Price Review

Read the Minister’s press release

Consumer Advocacy Council members appointed(external link) — beehive.govt.nz

Biography for Desiree Mahy:

Ms Mahy brings governance and management experience largely from the Education, For Purpose and Social Enterprise sectors. As a lawyer, mediator and facilitator, Ms Mahy has a strong background in advocacy, having worked with Community Law Centres o Aotearoa; as the previous CEO of Youth Development Trust; and as current chair of Te Hou Ora Whanau Services, a kaupapa Maori social service reputed for its work with hard-to-reach communities.

Ms Mahy has previously been the Director of Māori Learner Success at the Otago Polytechnic and a Senior Advisor at Te Puni Kokiri.

Biography for Jessica Wilson:

Ms Wilson brings more than 20 years’ experience in research, in the energy, environment and consumer sectors. Before starting her current role at Victoria University of Wellington, Ms Wilson was the head of research at Consumer NZ, where she led the investigative research programme, of which electricity services are a key focus area.

Biography for Nanette Moreau Hammond:

Before assuming the chairperson’s role at the Advertising Standards Authority Appeal Board, Ms Moreau Hammond spent twenty years in the electricity sector, specifically for Utilities Disputes Ltd, formerly known as the Office of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner (EGCC). She was Commissioner and Chief Executive between 2016 and 2020.

She is also currently a member of the Security and Reliability Council, which is part of the Electricity Authority, providing independent advice on the performance of the electricity system and the reliability of supply.

Biography for Norman Evans:

Dr Evans has a solid understanding of the electricity sector from both his early role as a linesman, and an infrastructure designer, developing 1 of the first electronic power meters before moving into management with Downer and Telecom.

Dr Evans has held director roles at both the operational and governance level for more than 25 years, including on the boards of various electricity lines companies, a forestry company and a utilities construction and management company.