Ownership & Co-operative Governance
Clarification / Disclaimer: WE Share’s ownership and co-operative governance model is a living design that is being shaped with the community and aligned partners. Formal cooperative registration, membership structures, and any asset-holding entities will be developed in later phases of the project.
The intention of the ownership model is to protect local sovereignty, support community-led decision pathways, and prevent private extraction of shared value. This is not a corporate asset — it is a community-aligned commons under development.
Legal Structure
The Platform One Foundation Charitable Trust provides the core legal foundation supporting the WE Share framework. It has the ability to create and hold additional legal entities — including companies, cooperatives, or other structures — as the initiative evolves. These entities will support formal ownership, financial management, and governance functions in later stages.
Community circles — such as Governance, Data & Privacy, AI, and Values Stewardship — are not separate legal bodies. They operate as collaborative structures within the participatory framework, helping shape direction and maintain transparency until formal entities are established. (if relevant or required for a project)
Co-operative Principles
The model draws on core cooperative principles, including:
- One member, one vote
- Transparent financials
- Surplus directed toward community benefit
- Values-aligned participation as the basis for involvement
These principles guide the emerging governance pathway and will inform later formalisation of community entities. (such as a Co-operative)
Relationship to Strategic Partners & Collaborators
WE Share works alongside several aligned partners — including Ecotricity, SEANZ and others — whose technical insights, infrastructure capabilities, and strategic expertise support the development of community-aligned energy participation.
Each partner brings its own operational responsibilities, and collaboration takes place within values-aligned boundaries that honour community priorities.
Additional collaborators include the University of Auckland, whose research and community-energy expertise contribute to design, evaluation, and learning.
WE Share is also engaging with the Electricity Authority of New Zealand through the Power Innovation Programme (PIP). While not a formal partnership, this provides a structured environment to test innovative, community-led approaches within the evolving regulatory landscape.
These collaborations are mutually beneficial and not extractive. Partners participate under shared-intent agreements that define boundaries, uphold community sovereignty, and maintain mutual accountability.
Partner Participation in Governance
Strategic partners may participate as non-voting contributors within governance-related spaces. Their role is advisory — to share technical insight, support alignment with sector realities, and ensure transparent communication between the community and partner organisations.
Partners may join governance circle discussions or community forums, but decision-making authority remains with the community.
Trust and Kaitiakitanga
The model draws on principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), placing responsibility on the initiative’s stewardship framework to uphold long-term wellbeing, ecological integrity, and intergenerational fairness.
Data Sovereignty
A commitment to ethical data use and community-held control of information.
Cultural Partnership
Inclusion of tangata whenua and cultural partners in governance pathways
Community Stewardship
Ongoing engagement with local groups, rangatahi, and educational organisations.
Accountability & Transparency
- The framework includes clear safeguards to keep the work aligned with community values.
- Open community forums support visibility, feedback, and shared learning.
- Transparent reporting keeps progress clear and accessible.
- Conflict-of-interest disclosure helps maintain trust.
- Role-appropriate participation agreements set expectations for everyone involved.
- The community retains the right to question, challenge, or correct misalignment.
This governance section is a living document and is reviewed as the model evolves and replicates.