"The proposal is off the table."
That is what TECT chairman Bill Holland said about the idea to evolve TECT into an entirely charitable trust by 2023.
TECT trustees have withdrawn the controversial proposal to end the distribution of the TECT cheque and put all the money into community projects after failing to win enough support for the plan.
The decision was made after a consultation process on the proposal, which sought to make a huge change to how the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT) distributed its $30 million annual income.
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The deal to end payments at the end of 2022 would have seen each Trustpower consumer receive a one-off compensatory cheque worth $2500 later this year plus a further five annual TECT cheques worth $360 each.
Bethlehem man Willem Jonkers strongly opposed the proposal and said he was happy to hear TECT had pulled it.
In his opinion, he said TECT trustees had done a "very bad job" and saw the change as an "enormous back down".
"I'm very happy, they [TECT trustees] have listened to an overwhelming protest from Trustpower customers, some which were quite fiery," Jonkers said.
Leona Smith, who works with many charities and community organisations such as Tauranga Riding for the Disabled and Waipuna Hospice, was "gutted" the proposal would not go ahead.
"It's very disappointing, this could have done great things for the community and for the future of the city," Smith said.
"It was a good idea and worth exploring, but if the majority of submissions were against then the people have spoken."
Holland said 21,000 submissions were made on the proposal and one-third were in support. The majority were opposed.
The trustees had maintained throughout this process that the wishes of consumers would remain at the heart of their decision making, Holland said.
"The people have spoken. The clear majority of people have said 'just leave it as it is'."
Holland said TECT trustees made the unanimous decision on Tuesday to withdraw the proposal rather than take it to a referendum.
The discussions at four information sessions on the plan, as well as feedback from written submissions and four days of oral hearings from about 130 individuals, showed there was immense passion within the community for the trust, Holland said.
The trustees would work through the feedback and suggestions and would analyse the content of submissions to ensure good ideas were captured to benefit the long-term future of the trust.
"This feedback will provide valuable information that will inform TECT's future planning. We also intend to communicate our findings with consumers once we have had time to work through the large amount of feedback," he said.
"There were a lot of complex questions because this was a complex matter. This was never going to be an easy discussion but we felt it was a discussion the public deserved to have," Holland said.
TECT trustees would release a 2018 distribution plan for consumer comment in the coming weeks which would outline the proposed amount of the TECT cheque distribution for November 2018 and the funds available for community organisations.
"Consumers should anticipate a distribution plan that looks very similar to that from 2017," Holland said.