Consultancies and projects
Policy, pricing and regulation
Regulation exists to meet key policy and social objectives, but in doing so imposes costs on the regulated and on taxpayers and the economy. Modern regulation in many sectors aims to streamline regulatory processes, reduce compliance costs and observe risk management principles. We have extensive experience in the areas of policy development within government. This has been applied to the analysis of policy implications and review of policy initiatives in areas including road safety, dangerous goods transport and heavy vehicle road user charging.
Our experience includes...
1. Industry profile of the transport of dangerous goods in NSW, including perspectives on regulation
2. Providing advice for an Administrative Appeals Tribunal review of the Australian Taxation Office’s interpretation of the heavy vehicle charge for fuel used in refrigeration units
2. Leading a cost-benefit analysis of the impact of a possible change to current export permit arrangements which favour domestic processing capacity for hazardous waste destined for recovery
3. Assessing opportunities to harmonise environmental regulation and transport of dangerous goods regulation, as each relates to hazardous waste, identifying gaps and overlaps
4 Preparing a draft submission to the Productivity Commission review of the National Access Regime on the regime’s role in relation to key road freight routes
5. Peer review of an alcohol impairment project - Lowering Legal Adult Blood Alcohol Concentration
6. Analysis of the impacts of the Henry Tax Review
7. Analysis of road pricing options
8. Advice on NSW rail access pricing policy and framework for arrangements for third party operators
9. Examination of major policy issues regarding introduction of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems to Australia
10. Harnessing emerging technologies to transport policy challenges
11. Submission to the 2023 Transport for NSW inquiry to improve bus safety (see Publications)
Transport and infrastructure strategy
Transport and infrastructure strategies are increasingly important in setting government policy directions and as a key early stage in the project identification and selection process.
Our experience includes...
1. Chairing the Commonwealth/State Working Group on developing the National Guidelines for Transport System Management in Australia. These were recognised by all governments as a “first” in the robust economic analysis of transport infrastructure projects. The guidelines, currently being revised, were subsequently adopted by Infrastructure Australia for assessing proposals for funding infrastructure development
2. Developing the Australian Logistics Council’s Toward an Efficient Freight Future
2. Reviewing Vicroads’ project assessment framework
4. Modelling policy initiatives to reduce the carbon emissions profile of the transport sector of an Australian state by 2050
3. Co-leading the development of Infrastructure Australia’s Northern Australia Audit: Infrastructure for a Developing North, assessing critical infrastructure gaps in the transport, energy, water and communications sectors, see Northern Australia Audit—Infrastructure for a Developing North | Infrastructure Australia
4. Developing a draft Australian Capital Territory freight strategy, addressing network, last mile access, data, regional linkage and other issues
5. Analysing Perth Airport capacity pressures and regional airport infrastructure and governance challenges for the Western Australian Government’s 2013 state aviation strategy
6. Estimating the emissions and safety benefits of scenarios for a reduced age of Australia’s passenger vehicle fleet, with Pekol Traffic and Transport and the Monash University Accident Research Centre, see Microsoft Word - AAA ECON Benefits of reducing light vehicle fleet age July 2017
Economic Development
Infrastructure has an important role in unlocking economic opportunities in regional areas and in developing nations. With a high minimum economic scale threshold for modern infrastructure on the one hand and ‘thin’ markets on the other, funding efficient infrastructure in these settings often presents a special challenge. It is important policy makers are provided with well-founded information on the broader ‘downstream’ benefits from building and maintaining adequate infrastructure.
Our experience includes...
1. Development of a strategic plan for the Airport Authority of the Cook Islands, a tourism-reliant nation, covering investment, revenue, cost and institutional issues, as part of an airport upgrade project, for the European Investment Bank
2. Feasibility study of options to rehabilitate and develop Munda airport in the Solomons Islands, assessing economic, tourism and air freight, for NZAID. The airport upgrade has since been constructed, funded by the New Zealand Government.
Economic Evaluation
Economic evaluation, including project appraisal, cost-benefit analysis, pricing analysis and economic impact studies, is critical to sound project selection and policy development.
Our experience includes...
1. Authoring the Department of Finance's 1991 Handbook of Cost-Benefit Analysis, for use in evaluating government funded projects (1991), reissued, with minor revisions in 2006, see 87959 DFA TXT.indd (pmc.gov.au)
2. Examining opportunities to refine and enhance project evaluation frameworks for transformative transport infrastructure initiatives such as faster passenger rail, see Economic Connections - Opportunities to refine and enhance infrastructure project evaluation frameworks
3. Scoping a refresh of the National Guidelines for Transport System Management, for Austroads and the Infrastructure and Transport Senior Officials' Committee
4. Developing a 'fit for purpose’ cost-benefit model for use in prioritising essential infrastructure investments in remote Indigenous communities, for Infrastructure Australia
5. Analysis of the economic cost of road trauma in Australia in 2015, see Microsoft Word - AAA ECON Cost of road trauma 2015 7Sep17
6. Evaluating a proposed upgrade of the Shelley-Walwa Road, Victoria
7. Options analysis for Cooperative ITS discussion paper
8. Options assessment to reduce urban congestion in Melbourne
9. Evaluating a Bruce Highway (Sunshine Coast, Queensland) road upgrade project proposal
10. Evaluating a regional NSW multi-level car park proposal
11. Peer review of an update business case for the Clifford Bay, New Zealand ferry terminal
12. Economic and financial assessment of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor
13. Economic assessment of Tasmanian road safety projects
14. East-West Link needs assessment economic analysis, for the former Victorian Department of Infrastructure
15. Economic analysis of options for a Murray Basin transcontinental rail link
16. Economic assessment of options to improve the Hobart to Launceston road link.