Overview of the New Zealand National Committee Incorporated (NZNC)

Welcome to the NZNC website. The NZNC was accepted as a full CIGRE National Committee by the CIGRE Administrative Council at its meeting held during the 2006 Paris Session. The NZNC became an Incorporated Society on 6 June 2007. This avoids member liabilities and the payment of tax as a not-for-profit organisation. 

The Aims and Objects of the NZNC are given in the Rules approved at our Inaugural AGM on 31 October 2007.

Aims and Objects

The NZNC will represent CIGRE in New Zealand and comply with the Statutes of the International CIGRE organisation.

The Aims and Objects of the NZNC are in line with the Objectives of CIGRE as detailed in Article 2 of the International CIGRE Statutes.

The Objects of the NZNC in New Zealand are to:

• Foster interest, within the New Zealand electricity supply industry, in the activities of CIGRE by encouraging local NZ CIGRE membership
• Promote networking among NZNC Members and others in related fields
• Enhance the collective technical skills and knowledge of the electricity supply industry in New Zealand
• Develop and enhance co-operation with any other agencies or organisations with objectives similar to the NZNC.
• Encourage the presentation of papers at CIGRE events such as the Paris Sessions and at Study Committee and Working Group meetings
• Recommend to the Technical Committee of CIGRE those New Zealand Members who could become Members or Experts on relevant Study Committees
• Propose, when appropriate, Members for election to the Administrative Council in accordance with CIGRE Rules and Regulations
• Do such acts, matters or things as may be recognised or expedient for the purposes of the NZNC or conducive to the attainment of the objectives of the NZNC.

Reasons for Establishing a New Zealand National Committee of CIGRE

• Disseminate CIGRE information and maintain communication with local NZ members
• Provide platform for presenting NZ expertise and experience to international community
• Provide point of contact for CIGRE Paris, the ANC and other National Committees
• Take our place on world stage with the other 55 CIGRE National Committees
• A National Committee has voting rights on the CIGRE Administrative Council
• Confirmed country paper allocation at the bi-annual CIGRE Paris Sessions
• Able to propose a National Member rep for the main CIGRE Study Committees
• Able to formally nominate NZ members for CIGRE Working Groups
• Issue invitations to the main CIGRE Study Committees to hold meetings in NZ
• Able to arrange and host Regional Conferences and Symposia and invite other NC’s
• Participate as a member of the Asia Oceania Regional Council (AORC) of CIGRE
• Provide formal links to other national and international bodies to benefit NZ industry
• Promotion of member CPD activities with EEA, IPENZ, IET, IEEE and others in NZ
• Promotion of formal bridge between academia and industry through the EPEE Forum
  

Summary of Benefits of CIGRE Membership (See also CIGRE Member Leaflets)

• Development and sharing of electrical power engineering knowledge and experience
• Established system of international Study Committees and Working Groups
• International and national conferences and symposia held at regular intervals
• Keeping up with international best practice to further career/CPD opportunities
• Receive the Electra CIGRE journal, plus any inserts/extras, 6 times a year
• Free Electra articles and Technical Brochures from the e-CIGRE website
• Area reserved for members on the CIGRE website with SC & WG information
• Member discounts on attendance fees at CIGRE conferences and symposia
• The most cost-effective way to maintain CPD in the electric power industry

NZNC Planned Activities and Liaison with other National Committees and Institutes

The NZNC Executive aims to have at least two CIGRE events a year in New Zealand. One of these is likely to be a seminar/workshop to coincide with the EEA Annual Conference usually held in June. A second event will be planned around current topics of interest in the power industry and could be held in one of the three main centres depending on the organisations and sponsors involved.

It is hoped to establish close ties with the Australian National Committee as some NZ engineers are involved in one or more of the 16 Australian Panels that mirror the 16 main CIGRE Study Committees. As outlined in the Vision Document available below, a wider exchange of information between CIGRE members on both sides of the Tasman will benefit both countries while still allowing priorities to be developed for the local industry in each country. Open seminars to coincide with the Australian Panel (AP) meetings in New Zealand will be encouraged where possible. There have been very few of these events held locally and New Zealand has had to wait its turn with all the main centres in Australia which means a specific AP meeting is held only every 8th or 9th year in New Zealand.

The NZNC will also coordinate any planned technical activities with the annual Technical Programmes of the IPENZ ETG and the NZ Chapters of the IET (IEE) and the IEEE. In this way there should be minimal overlap or duplication of effort between the various organisations involved in the electricity supply industry in New Zealand.

NZNC information downloads are listed below.