The Public Safety Working Group (PSWG) is a pan industry, innovative, inclusive, and trusted group that works with the electricity supply industry and other key stakeholders to connect the industry across Aotearoa New Zealand to promote continual improvement in public safety outcomes and solutions to public safety issues.
It was established in 2014 by the Electricity Networks Association (ENA) and the Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA). “Public” includes ‘third party contractors’ as well as members of the general public. It is also defined as ‘anyone who is not an employee or an authorised contractor working on behalf of the asset owner’. The PSWG works with the electricity supply industry and other key stakeholders to connect the industry across Aotearoa New Zealand to coordinate, collaborate and develop consensus outcomes to solve public safety issues, share knowledge and promote standardisation. The objectives are:- Provides a focal point that supports, informs and influences decision makers and stakeholders.
- Collaborate, coordinate, lead and promote knowledge and good practices in public safety matters in the NZ electricity industry.
- Provide advice and guidance to improve public safety outcomes including understanding issues, decision making, planning, process and practices, and benchmarking.
- Enabling the reporting and sharing of information relating to public safety incidents and events including analysis of available data on public safety incident trends
- To identify and communicate critical public safety information to key audiences
- To develop consistent national safety information for public and media releases
- To facilitate in a managed and consistent way the distribution of public safety messages
Delivery
The PSWG objectives will be delivered through:- A work plan that aligns with the EEA Strategic activities, Business Plan, and Budget
- The development of guidance and use of standards by the electricity supply industry and other key stakeholders
- Facilitating workshops/forums
- Responding to industry queries
- Monitoring New Zealand and overseas trends
- Liaising with Government agencies, and other local and international organisations on public safety matters
- Benchmarking best practice in public safety management
- Disseminating relevant information to industry
- Undertaking other matters as determined by the EEA Executive Committee
Terms of Reference (ToR)
Terms of Reference_September 2024Work Programme: 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026
PSWG Work Programme 2025-2026Membership
Zoe Jamieson (Chair) – Health, Safety and Environment Business Partner, Powerco
New Plymouth-based Zoe is a Health, Safety and Environment Business Partner with Powerco having worked for the company since 2020. She has held health and safety roles across a number of businesses since 2012 including Tegal Foods, Intergroup and Worley parsons.
Other strings to Zoe’s bow include a Bachelor of Communications, a National Certificate in Business, a National Certificate in Adult Education and Training, and she is a qualified ICAM (Incident Cause Analysis Method) investigator.
Braden Bethwaite – Health & Safety Advisor, Wellington Electricity
Braden is an experienced HSE professional with over 20 years expertise in risk management and workplace safety. Currently serving as HSE Advisor at Wellington Electricity, he leads critical risk reviews, develops processes, and assists contractors with incident investigations. He has held this role since 2016.
His professional background is mainly in the construction sector including ten years as a Rope Access Team Leader, supervising high-risk maintenance activities in Wellington City. He was also a Hydrographic Assistant in the Royal New Zealand Navy, collecting and processing maritime data for navigational charts.
Jacques Brown – Technical Safety Engineer , Top Energy
Jacques the Technical Safety Engineer with Top Energy, with my primary responsibility being to ensure that Top Energy complies with industry regulations (NZS7901:2008) minimizing safety risks to Top Energy staff, contractors, and the public.
My experience is further supported by a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering (cum laude) as well as a Bachelor of Science Honours in Technology Management.
He is a highly motivated professional with over 25 years’ significant experience within electricity generation, electrical consulting, petro-chemical manufacturing and electricity distribution industries. Jacques career started off with South Africa’s only electricity supply authority, Eskom Holdings Limited (generation, transmission and distribution all-in-one), first as a bursary holder and later once qualified, appointed as an electrical technician, where valuable experience gained within their power generation business laid a sound technical foundation.
Marty Fox – Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager, Electra
Marty is the Electra Group Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager. He brings a lifetime of practical experience in the broad field of leadership in safety, health and wellbeing across public and private sectors in both New Zealand and Australia including Fire and Emergency New Zealand, New Zealand Police and the Department of labour.
His passion in this area has grown from working in very high-risk occupations and understanding the direct impact of failure, evolving into leading organisations in the development of their own systems and cultures to prevent harm.
Warren Harris – Network Operations Manager, The Lines Company
Warren is currently Network Operations Manager at The Lines Company, where he has been working since 2018. His previous experience includes as planning engineer and field service supervisor at Waipa Networks. Warren is the owner and course provider of electrical competency training company Upstage Productions.
Steve Herbst – Health and Safety Business Partner, Meridian Energy
Steve has a diverse work experience in health and safety roles. He is currently the Health and Safety Business Partner at Meridian Energy, a role he has held since August 2021.
Prior to that, he worked in health and safety at Brian Perry Civil, Lincoln University and McConnell Dowell. Steve holds a NZ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety.
Ian Hunter – Health and Safety Advisor, Aurora
Ian is Aurora’s Health and Safety Advisor based in Dunedin. He has previously held health and safety roles for Oceana Gold, C3 Ltd and Bathurst Resources Ltd.
A health, safety and environmental management professional with a broad range of experience in the high hazard environments of mining (underground hard rock, open cast coal and minerals processing), ports, electricity distribution, steel production, defence research and nuclear submarines.
Gareth Le Roux – Worksafe
Gareth is a member of the Energy Safety business unit at WorkSafe New Zealand. He first came to New Zealand from South Africa for a visit, and ended up with working, studying, and living here. He has worked in the electrical industry for the majority of his life in a variety of different electrical environments.
Gareth attends the PSWG as an observer.
Richard Luoni – Head of Health & Safety, Manawa Hydro division of Contact Energy
Richard has recently transitioned to the Energy industry after almost two decades working in the maritime industry. I spent my sea time in a range of roles and industries all over the globe including, offshore supply, commercial & charter fishing, workboats and emergency response. He then spent the next ten years shoreside working as a regulator for Maritime NZ as an Advisor/Technical Advisor, Senior Maritime Officer, Specialist Investigator and Regulatory Operation Manager.
Richard has been exposed to the worst-case scenarios in poor work practices and as a result have a real drive to support improvements. Working collaboratively between businesses is imperative to success as an industry. Remove duplication, remove the confusion and remove the inconsistencies in how we operate. We all have the same goal for our teams. ‘To come home safe to their family and friends’.
Brian Ultee – Assurance Manager, Contact Energy
Based at Clyde Power Station, Brian leads public safety and assurance initiatives across Contact’s generation assets. With a background in electrical systems and ISO certification, he’s passionate about risk management, contractor safety, and continuous improvement.
Outside of work, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and time with his grandchildren.
Priyanka Victor-D'Souza – Principal Health & Safety Advisor, Transpower
Priyanka has recently joined as the Principal Health & Safety Advisor at Transpower. She stepped into the role earlier this year, bringing with her a rich and varied background in health and safety across several high-risk environments – including transportation, logistics, distribution, and labour hire – spanning both the private and public sectors.
Most recently, Priyanka led the health and safety function supporting the safe delivery of major public events, from large-scale concerts to national sports gatherings across Auckland. Though relatively new to Transpower, she’s quickly recognised the depth and evolution of Transpower’s health and safety journey through growth.