Media Release

Peter Browne - IPENZ President's Award winner
Friday, 26 March 2004

Peter Browne, a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ), received one of the highest accolades the Institution can bestow on a member – the IPENZ Presidents Award - for long and distinguished service to electrical technology in the service of others, to the Institution, and to the engineering profession.

A gold medal was presented to Peter by Gerry Coates, President of the Institution, at the Awards Dinner during the IPENZ Convention at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Christchurch on Thursday March 25.

When awarding the medal Gerry Coates, IPENZ President (2003-2004), acknowledged the energy and breadth of Peter Browne’s contribution to the advancement of his profession.

“Since 1999 Peter has been an independent consultant. He has retained a strong connection with the distribution sector, as a director of The Lines Company and a member of the Electricity Complaints Commission Council Board. He is a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand,” said Gerry Coates.

“Peter is a member of the Electricity Engineers’ Association, and on the Board of the Wind Energy Association. He is the current chair of Standards NZ’s Electricity Supply Electrical Co-ordinating Committee,” he said.

Notes from Peter Browne’s citation:

Peter graduated as an electrical engineer from the University of New Zealand (Canterbury University College) in 1961 and has spent his professional career in this country’s electricity supply industry. After two years in the UK, he returned to New Zealand and held positions with the NZED, and then Christchurch, Tauranga, and Wellington local authorities, gaining experience in the distribution and local hydro sectors of the industry.

In 1987 he joined ECNZ as its Pricing Manager and, apart from three months with Transpower in 1992, he remained with ECNZ until its break-up in 1999. He represented ECNZ on the Electrical Development Association, and was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Brooklyn wind turbine generator and the development of competency unit standards for the generation sector. He has maintained a keen interest in the development of safety legislation for the industry.

Peter has been an IPENZ Branch Treasurer and Chairman, Conference Treasurer, Council member and Honorary Secretary Treasurer. He was a director of Molesworth House Ltd and is the current chair of its successor, Molesworth House Body Corporate. He is also the permanent trustee of IPENZ’s Benevolent Fund. He is a Fellow and former Branch Chair of the Institution of Electrical Engineers

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