Frankly, until we see Grady Cameron up on charges in court as well . . . .
this is half-pie luke warm (PR managed) news mongering without ANY public accountability for the deliberate corporate degradation of Otago’s power network by Dunedin City Council, Dunedin City Holdings Ltd and the two council-owned companies Aurora Energy and Delta Utility Services.
As What if? noted about the dateline in previous posts care of DCC leaks:
█ OVERPAID Grady Cameron, chief executive of Aurora and Delta, announced today that he will step down from his position before 30 June this year.
However, we haven’t got rid of the award-winning burnt asset arsehole just yet.
● December’s Deloitte report recommended that Aurora (‘lines company and asset owner’) and Delta (‘civil engineering company and contractor’) be separated and governed by separate independent boards.
● Grady Cameron says he is not considering a new position with either company.
● Instead, Mr Cameron will take up an interim position to the end of this year, overseeing next developments for the entities.
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Newshub broke the story when whistleblower Richard Healey first went public on dangerous poles 19.10.16 [newshub.co.nz]
█ Deloitte review report – Aurora Energy and Delta Utilities (PDF, 1740 KB)
12 Dec 2016: Review of Aurora Energy Limited/Delta Utility Services Limited – Network Safety Concerns
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Media Release
Aurora Energy begins implementing recommendations of independent review
15 Feb 2017
Aurora Energy has begun the implementation of the organisational changes recommended by the independent review by its shareholder, Dunedin City Holdings Limited.
The first step is to transition to two standalone companies from the middle of the year.
Delta Utility Services and Aurora Energy Chair, Steve Thompson, says there have always been two organisations – Aurora Energy that owns the electricity network, and Delta that provides contracting services to Aurora Energy and other energy and environmental customers and employs the people who maintain the network.
“We about to begin the process of recruiting a new chief executive for Delta and aim to have that person in place by the middle of the year. As the Delta leadership team takes shape, we will provide further updates. We expect to appoint a permanent Aurora Energy chief executive in the latter part of the year.”
“The current chief executive, Grady Cameron, has advised me that he will not take up either of the new roles. He will remain in his existing role until 30 June 2017, after which he will be interim Aurora Energy chief executive until the end of the year.”
“The Board and I are particularly grateful that Grady has agreed to oversee the transition process along with the accelerated pole programme which is now underway,” says Mr Thompson.
A report by consulting firm Deloitte last year prepared for Dunedin City Holdings, made a number of recommendations, including separate board and management structures for Aurora Energy and Delta.
“Grady and his team have already started work on this process, and a number of senior management appointments have been made or are currently being finalised,” says Mr Thompson. The recent appointments establish the new management team and structure for Aurora Energy (see below for executive biographies).
Mr Cameron says the new structure will significantly change the leadership of the two businesses. “My focus now is on assisting the Board and the two organisations with the transition and delivering the pole programme before taking on another role.”
For media enquiries, please contact Gary Johnson on 021 224 2333.
Delta is the infrastructure specialist in energy and environmental services. www.thinkdelta.co.nz
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Aurora Energy executive leadership team appointments
● Warren Batchelor, General Manager Network Performance
(external appointment, starting 20 February)
Responsible for asset management strategy, planning and implementation; manages asset management, network engineering and design and programme delivery teams. Warren brings wide experience in the electricity distribution and manufacturing sectors with a strong focus on asset management, engineering and network operations. He was most recently managing the networks transformation programme for Vector, based in Auckland. Prior to that he has held senior management roles and carried out major change programmes with Aurora Energy (the state electricity provider in Tasmania) and Unison Networks, among others. He holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Canterbury.
● Mark Corbitt, Chief Technology Officer
(external appointment, starting 20 February)
Responsible for information technology strategy and operations, network technology development for Aurora Energy, including the future implementation of its new asset management system. Mark brings deep experience in information and communications technology leadership to the organisation. He was most recently Chief Information Officer for Contact Energy based in Wellington. Prior to that he has held senior information and communications technology roles and undertaken significant projects with the Ministry of Justice, Housing New Zealand and Telecom NZ, among others.
● John Campbell, General Manager Operations and Risk
(internal appointment)
Responsible for network operations and customer services, operation of network control centres, strategic risk management and network safety. John has been Operations Manager for the Aurora Energy network since 2015. Prior to that, John had more than 30 years’ experience in the electricity industry including engineering, operations and project management roles at national grid operator Transpower and network engineering and operations for Central Power (Manawatu).
● Alec Findlater, General Manager Network Commercial
(internal appointment)
Responsible for network pricing, connection management, commercial development, customer solutions, regulatory affairs and resource management. Alec was most recently Commercial Manager for the Aurora Energy network. He has in excess of 30 years’ experience in electricity transmission and distribution, with senior roles encompassing design and engineering, contracting and commercial management.
[ends]
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█ For more, enter the terms *delta*, *aurora*, *grady*, *steve thompson*, *crombie*, *richard healey*, *dchl*, *epicpowerfail* or *epic fraud* in the search box at right.
—
Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
This post is offered in the public interest.
What if? Dunedin... 
At Facebook:
Aside re Unison, the network company that covers the regions of Napier, Hastings, Taupo and Rotorua.
—
Link received.
Wed, 15 Feb 2017 at 6:59 a.m.
### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 21:47, February 14 2017
Hastings fire started near power lines, but company says they were not the cause
By Marty Sharpe and Simon Hendery
As the fire that took out a house, damaged others and blackened a swathe of paddocks and forests dies away, questions about its cause – and who will foot the bill – are becoming the burning issues. Speculation has centred on power lines, but lines company Unison said its network was not at fault.
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule … said the cost of fighting the fire could be as high as $500,000 “and that did not include the cost of the destroyed house, forestry and other property damage which would easily top $1 million”.
Doug Lowe, who lives on Waimarama Road, near Red Bridge, saw the fire begin on Monday morning during a big gust of wind. “It started in grass under the power lines. I’ve seen it before. Wind makes the lines touch each other. I’d say that’s what happened here,” he said.
Read more
For Danny Gough to be quoted as saying “”If we had lines arcing, that would cause a trip to occur on the network and that would be picked up in our control room,” Gough said. “We have no record of any of the lines tripping out in that area” is extremely troubling. Lines can, and often do, arc without operating the protection and tripping. I’ve personally watched a line arcing on the ground for minutes. It was melting the concrete in the gutter, which then flowed along the road.
Protection devices come in many flavours. The modern ones are often capable of recording “protection starts”, situations where abnormal conditions exist, but not for long enough too cause a trip. Older devices may not. The point is that having no record of a problem in the acquired system data is absolutely no guarantee that that a problem didn’t occur – as Delta are about to find out in relation to the Kinmont fire of last year.
Given the, now well documented, poor state of the Aurora Network, I’ve shuddered every time I’ve driven through Central Otago for the last couple of months. The vegetation just gets higher and drier, the fuel load is massive. I’m sure that if, god forbid, a line clash does occur Delta will wheel out similar excuses.
Frightening, thanks for expanding Richard.
This month we expect to get the lab results which *might fail* to tell us that Delta sprayed (and killed) the heritage rose collection at the HNZ category 1 historic place…. Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery.
Strike out the word inconclusive.
Views rocketing tonight at What if? Dunedin.
Cameron has fallen on his sword and proven his incompetence, even in this simple task by only being injured. In hospital drawing his overpaid emoluments until December. WTF?
IOW lack of evidence =/= evidence NOTHING untoward happened.
At best, “Nice try, Danny Gough. Better luck next time.”
Another year, taking holidays into consideration, before he has to start job-hunting. Another year closer to his Gold Card…. One year less of managing a motel, or whatever a person with his track record does in the later part of their working life.
ODT 14.2.17 (page 6)