Data Centres are changing the water sector. Is regulation keeping up?
Data centres are creating a new challenge for water regulation – and NSW has just moved [...]
Utilities Regulation Advisory Homeuradvisoryadmin2026-08-28T06:44:31+00:00
Utilities Regulation Advisory (URA) supports the delivery of sustainable utility services that maximise community value. We strongly believe that it is a network service provider’s responsibility to be a local leader, and to support healthy and prosperous communities.
We work side-by-side with our clients, providing rigorous, objective and fact-based advice that is practical, transparent and meaningful to you and your stakeholders. We focus on providing fit-for-purpose advisory services to achieve your priorities.
URA was established in 2020 and across its 6 years of existence, has worked with more than 40 clients on over 160 individual projects in every Australian jurisdiction and across New Zealand.
OUR SERVICES
URA helps navigate complex and potentially competing stakeholder issues to find practicable solutions that strike the right balance between regulatory and commercial realities.
We have a strong record of helping both businesses and regulators successfully achieve their regulatory objectives. URA’s team has led and supported businesses through the development of their pricing submissions and in their responses to regulatory decisions.
We also provide key support to economic regulators across Australia in the form and function of price reviews, including undertaking independent expenditure and demand reviews, advice on regulatory finance and customer engagement.
URA’s team has a strong history in providing economic analysis, advising on microeconomic reform and supporting major projects. URA provides a balance of rigorous economic analysis based on first principles and practical advice that can be understood and acted on by ‘non-regulatory’ staff.
Our team has also advised infrastructure owners/operators, and stakeholders interested in purchasing regulated network assets, on approaches to maximising value from those assets and/or minimising risk.
URA’s team members are one of the market leaders in the development, defence and review of expenditure and demand forecasts.
Our team members have supported both regulated businesses in the development of forecasts for their price submissions and economic regulators in undertaking independent assessments of forecasts.
URA’s team has considerable experience in tariff design, working for utilities, policy makers, regulators and private parties. Our team has supported businesses through the development and testing of tariff structures.
We provide a practical balance between alignment with first principles, best meeting the requirements of the regulatory framework, and sending signals that customers can understand and respond to. We focus on the delivery of tariffs that reflect businesses’ environmental, social and commercial objectives.
Our team members have designed, built and reviewed pricing models, to support the establishment of prices, and to support regulatory pricing submissions. This includes customer impact analysis, scenario analysis and transitional pricing frameworks. Our models are designed to be user friendly and effective regulatory tools.
Our team have advised both asset owners and investors regarding the sale/purchase of regulated assets, and its interactions with the regulatory framework. This includes understanding opportunities for maximising value and minimising risk.
We help asset owners/investors understand the construct of the regulatory framework, how it operates, likely trends in regulatory reform and opportunities for improvement.
NEWS & INFO
Queensland Water 2026 Annual Conference
On 19 August 2026, Tim White presented at the Queensland Water 2026 Annual Forum. The following [...]
Is AI about to become a standard assumption in economic regulation (Part 2)?
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Kat George joins URA!
We are happy to announce that Kat George is now an Associate of URA, and will [...]
Is AI about to become a standard assumption in economic regulation?
The Essential Services Commission's recently released 2028 Water Price Review Draft Guidance Paper contains a subtle [...]
South Australia’s Infrastructure Reset
South Australia may be on the verge of the most significant reform to utility governance in [...]
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