Get ready for the - New Zealand Electrical Conference 2025
In 2025, the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand (ECANZ), which now operates under the Master Electricians brand, is celebrating 100 years of representing electrical contractors and contributing to the electrical industry in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The fourth quarter of 2024 starts the runway to our centenary celebration of the past, present and future of electrical contracting businesses in New Zealand. Every month we will be exploring a key electrical theme and its ties to the historical milestones of New Zealand’s largest association that supports electrical contractors.
As the electrical industry navigates unprecedented change today, Master Electricians’ membership is made up of over 1,300 businesses nationwide whose interests we represent, promote and protect.
Our October centenary theme, New Futures, reflects the landmark initiatives taken for our industry both in 1925 and a century later. 2025 is an inflection point for the electrical industry as we pivot in response to electrification of New Zealand and the world economy. The need for electrical contractors to have an association that advocates for them, educates them, and supports them was never greater. The level of transformational change at our centenary moment is literally electric.
The founders of ECANZ in 1925 would be astounded by the instrumental role of their future members on economic and social progression 100 years on. In the face of climate change and decarbonisation challenges, the world is reorientating to become a circular economic system. Smart grid technologies, renewable energy sources, and advances in energy storage are revolutionising electricity generation, distribution, and consumption. The convergence of electrical and telecommunications infrastructure and transport electrification is driving the development of smart cities.
The industry must embrace this challenge and lean into the future. Technological innovation, sustainability imperatives, regulatory shifts and evolving consumer demand are placing new workforce and skills demands on electrical contractors. To be future-fit, the industry needs skills and knowledge that are responsive to incoming technological advancements and industry convergence.
The new initiatives that Master Electricians is launching for the industry today echo the aspirations and determination of the key founders and early leaders of ECANZ. While the settings and pace were different back then, the change was as significant as it is today.
Beginnings of the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand (ECANZ)
Electric power districts and electric power boards were established in 1918, and in the 1920s demand for electricity took off in New Zealand. Master Electricians dates back as far as 1925, when the New Zealand Electrical Federation (NZEF) met regularly with the New Zealand Electrical Wholesalers’ Federation. These federations discussed common matters that affected both the electrical contracting and wholesaling industries.
Key figures in the NZEF included Mr W. S. Cederholm and A.E. Jones. In a 1926 stakeholder meeting, it’s reported (King Country Chronicle, 14/08/1926) that NZEF Secretary, Mr C.G. Camp, referenced the NZEF’s purpose as: cooperating with the supply authorities and the Government for the general good of the consumer.
Typical activities engaged in by the NZEF included electrical wiring regulations, registration of contractors, apprenticeships, and public body trading. The entrance of electric power authorities into the trading arena as vendors of products like heating appliances and motors was a notably contested issue.
The early electrical industry played a part in building Aotearoa from the ground up. In his comments opening a 1926 conference of electrical supply engineers, the Minister of Public Works (Hon. K.S. Williams) said he was pleased the conference would discuss the soundness or otherwise of planting wooden poles all over the country and he expressed a hope that uniformity in charges could be arrived at.
By 1933, local branch member associations could see that the changing electrical industry meant that electrical contractors and wholesalers needed to align themselves to best address the needs of all participants. The NZEF was disbanded to create a new, more inclusive federation to encourage greater industry participation – the New Zealand Electrical Traders’ Federation.
Master Electricians launches strategic reset for the next 100 years
A century on from those pioneering times, stakeholder collaboration remains the key to unlocking industry success on every level. The electrical industry needs to take a multi-faceted approach to develop new skills and knowledge needed for advances in smart grids, renewable energy, energy storage solutions, and regulatory changes to address emerging challenges such as climate change, cybersecurity, and energy equity.
Master Electricians’ goal is to lead in electrification technology while celebrating our past achievements, and those of our members, and preparing for future innovations.
Our association is meeting change head on with long-term strategic initiatives
We are expanding our products – through a regional focus, and tapping into innovative sectors like solar energy, EVs, sustainable technologies, automation, HVAC, and AI.
Upcoming service expansion includes advocacy for new regulations and standards, educational programmes for technical training and business mastery, and robust support through digital platforms, face-to-face interactions, and networking opportunities.
As the government reforms vocational education and training in 2024, Master Electricians is stepping up its leadership role in the tertiary system, focusing on standards, qualifications, funding advice, and workforce strategy. We are investing in training and professional development programs led by credible industry organisations, in partnership with suppliers, wholesalers and innovative partners.
We aim to light up the future of electricians. This month we launch Trade Master, a one-stop CPD shop for our industry. This specialised training business will enhance the technical skills, business acumen, and soft skills of electrical workers and business leaders. It enables the electrical industry to keep pace with the adoption of new technologies, products, and concepts that will drive the electrification of New Zealand.
The next electrical revolution is here – a transformative era of technology, resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability. Next year, we explore this future in our centenary content series. Next month, we step back to the establishment of the Electrical Workers Registration Board in 1963 as we traverse 100 years of magic Master Electricians moments.