Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust turns 25

TECT chairman Bill Holland says it's hugely rewarding how much good can be done in the local community. Photo / file

Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust turned 25 on Friday, a significant milestone for the organisation which pours $8m a year back into the local community.

Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT) was established on December 21, 1993, and is now the country's biggest energy trusts.

It returns millions of dollars a year to Trustpower's 58,000 customers in direct funding with the annual TECT dividend cheque.

TECT chairman Bill Holland said he had been involved with the organisation for only six years, the first two years as a trustee and four years as its chairman.

"Today is a huge milestone and normally you would mark it in some significant way but to honest I hadn't really thought about it as I have only been involved six years."

Holland said he was the longest-serving member of the trust's board.

"TECT is now one of the biggest funders for community good with about $8m a year in other funding going into the Tauranga and Western Bay community," he said.

"For instance, TECT also contributed to the Bay Oval cricket ground lights which meant international matches can be held in Tauranga," he said

Holland said over the past 25 years, TECT had "gone from strength to strength" and owed its success to TrustPower which was an extremely successful business.

"I know for a fact that half of the $4.4m cost of the new St John Ambulance building and half of the $3.6m needed to build the new wing at Waipuna Hospice was TECT funding."

"Funding community projects such as this mean everyone benefits, " he said.

However, Holland said it was not just big projects that mattered, as there were also scores of projects which were funded up to the $1000 range.

"I recall a woman from one community group which asked for help to buy a kettle, and we naturally explored how TECT could help to bolster any funding application," he said.

Holland said TECT now had a dedicated team which assisted people to do so.

"It's hugely rewarding to see how much good we can do with these funds," he said