While our firm is young, during our extensive consulting careers, we have individually and/or collectively worked with many leading clients nationally, including:
Our team has provided advice to a large number of utilities, regulators, Government Departments, industry bodies and stakeholders, nationally. The following is a summary of some of that experience:
URA are currently providing independent assurance over the delivery of SW’s pricing proposal, its first under the 3Cs framework. This includes compliance with IPART’s Handbook, it’s 3Cs grading and the strength of its written submission.
URA are currently acting as strategic adviser in the development, delivery and defence of the 2024 price submission. This has included supporting GWW’s project team engage with Board on strategic issues, and helping develop their operating expenditure forecast, reflecting the benefits of recent integration of City West Water and Western Water.
URA are currently providing extensive specialist support to Sunwater in the development of its 2024 irrigation pricing proposal. This includes the secondment of Courtney Rogers to help coordinate the delivery of the submission, the provision of modelling support, the provision of technical regulatory advice (e.g. cost allocation and on cost pass through mechanisms), the review of planning arrangements and the review of the written submission for quality assurance.
URA are currently engaged to provide specialist regulatory advice in the development of WNSW’s 2024 pricing proposal, its first under the 3Cs framework. This includes undertaking periodic reviews of the planning, development and finalisation of WNSW’s pricing proposal, forecasts, strategic proposals and 3Cs grading to support their Board endorsement process.
URA are currently engaged to support HW in the development of its 2024 pricing proposal under the new 3Cs framework. So far, this has included support on project planning, the establishment of HW’s Board endorsement framework and the development of a tailored efficiency strategy.
URA are currently supporting a number of Victoria’s water businesses, in the preparation of their 2023 price submissions. The roles played are diverse, ranging from coordinating the development of submissions, drafting elements of the submission, providing strategic regulatory advice, completing technical investigations, independent expenditure reviews, supporting Board attestation, development and review of regulatory pricing models, tariff reform and reviewing the written submissions against the PREMO framework. Our clients include Yarra Valley Water, South East Water, Barwon Water, Coliban Water, Central Highlands Water, East Gippsland Water, Gippsland Water, Goulburn Valley Water, South Gippsland Water and Westernport Water.
URA, working with GHD, advised Seqwater on the development of justification documentation to support its capital expenditure forecast and the drafting of the capex chapter in its submission to the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA). Seqwater’s forecast was accepted in full by the QCA.
Tim, Mark and Jason completed a multi-stage review of the planning, development and defence of MW’s 2021 price submission, including gap analysis against the PREMO framework, prudency and efficiency review of forecasts and a review of the written submission and financial template to support Board attestation. URA also led advice regarding Melbourne Water’s response to the ESC’s Draft Decision.
Tim, Mark and David were part of teams that provided a multitude of advice, that supported the development of the 2020 pricing proposal. This included advice on expenditure forecasts (i.e. the provision of advice around the IPART review process and the technical review of expenditure, a high level review of the proposed expenditure, and specific review and advice on business cases prepared to support the major projects and programs), tariff design and cost allocation.
Our team members advised GMW in the development of their 2020 price submission. Tim acted as Project Director, working within GMW to lead the development of the submission. Mark and Jason were part of the team that completed a multi-stage review of the planning and development of the submission, including a review of the prudency and efficiency of expenditure and demand forecasts, as well as a review of the written submission and financial template against the ESC’s Guidance. GMW’s submission was accepted in full by the ESC.
Tim and Mark were part of the team supporting AGA in the development of its access arrangement (AA5) submission to the ERA. This has included the development of capital expenditure project justification documentation, a peer review of AGA’s revenue and tariff model, and a peer review of AGA’s corporate support expenditure.
Tim and Mark supported 13 of Victoria’s 16 water authorities in the development of their 2018 price submissions. This included:
- advising 3 of the 4 fast-tracked corporations – South East Water, Yarra Valley Water and Westernport Water;
- leading advice to the only corporation that was awarded a leading rating under PREMO – Goulburn Valley Water; and
- advising South East Water, Yarra Valley Water, Barwon Water and Central Highlands Water to support their advanced PREMO ratings.
Advice provided included strategic regulatory advice to Boards and Executive Leadership Teams, drafting and review of written submissions, regulatory modelling support, peer review or development of expenditure and demand forecasts, frameworks to support Board attestation, mock PREMO assessments and tariff design.
Courtney led the development of SA Water’s last three RBPs, the most recent where SA Water undertook a negotiated settlement process. Tim, Mark and Jason were also part of the team that were lead advisors by providing independent review services of expenditure plans, the financial model and written document.
Tim led the development of TasWater’s project governance and planning arrangements, as well as the customer engagement strategy, that supported the development and delivery of the 2018 price and service plan.
Tim was part of the team that provided regulatory advice to UE in the development of its Regulatory Proposal.
URA recently led advice to YVW in the review and development of its regulatory strategy supporting the roll-out of digital meters across its network region.
URA was engaged to complete a review of GVW’s supporting project justification documentation for its digital utility program, against the ESC’s prudency and efficiency requirements. This includes the CRM/Billing and SCADA systems.
URA completed a review of funding options to support the delivery of the Bendigo Groundwater Project.
URA completed a review of price paths for Gippsland Water for the 2023 price review.
David led the development of a Detailed Business Case for the Paradise Dam Improvement Project and associated investigations. The long term contract (May 2019 to Sept 2021) involved leading an integrated project team from Arup and BQ and coordinating the primary stakeholders, Sunwater and the Dept of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, along with other stakeholders including the BQ Board, QLD Treasury, Dept of the Premier and Cabinet, the Dam Safety Regulator and community representative organisations.
Tim and Jason were part of a team that advised a state Government Department on the appropriateness of a utility’s operating model, including options for improving business performance.
Tim was part of a multi-firm team that completed a technical and commercial options assessment of the Altona Wastewater Treatment Plant.
David was engaged to provide technical and regulatory assistance to an Independent Evaluation Panel assessing the performance of the Sydney Water Planning Partnership. This role provides advice to the Panel members on structuring the review process and how the review process can align with expectations under the economic regulatory framework. The review assessed the Planning Partner Panel against key performance indicators including how the Planning Partner can demonstrate efficiency in the delivery of capital projects.
Tim and Mark led a review of funding and financing options for the delivery of stormwater infrastructure in the Fishermans Bend development.
David was the team leader for strategic economic and regulatory issues for the due diligence process of the Rosehill water recycling plant for a confidential party. David was the team leader for strategic economic and regulatory issues for the due diligence process. This included assessing asset condition in relation to proposed capital and operating expenditure profiles, review of take or pay, maintenance and offtake contracts. The review assessed the vendor and client market growth strategy in relation to asset capacity and current / future utilisation and identifying where additional capacity could result in expanded services and markets.
Tim and Mark were part of a multi-firm team that completed an options assessment regarding one of Australia’s largest wastewater assets, the development of different options for site use, economic assessment of those options and customer impact analysis.
David was engaged as Expert Advisor on the completion of a business case for the Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Strategy. The project involves the development of documentation consistent with the QLD Government’s Business Case Development Framework (BCDF) including strategic assessment, options assessment and a detailed business case.
Tim, Mark and Jason completed an independent review of the Digital Utility Business Case against Essential Service Commission and Department of Treasury and Finance requirements.
Tim and Mark completed a review of the accounting and regulatory impacts of the State Government’s $250 million Victorian Murray Flood Restoration Projects on the two receiving water authorities – Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water.
URA are the lead adviser to IPART in the development and implementation of its new 3Cs framework, including the provision of regulatory and strategic advice to the project team and Tribunal members. (link)
Provision of expert advice with regards to future reform in the economic regulation of monopoly water services in Queensland.
Tim, Mark and Jason were part of the team that advised a client on opportunities to strengthen a state-based economic regulatory framework in water, through stronger financial and reputational incentives linked to delivery of customer outcomes.
Our team members were involved in the design, implementation and application of the ESC’s PREMO framework:
- Dr Ben-David was the chief architect of the PREMO framework (link, link)
- Alistair and Tim led the team that advised the ESC in the development of the PREMO assessment framework (link, link, link)
- Alistair, Tim and Mark led the development of thought leadership papers for the ESC, during the ideation process of the PREMO framework (link, link)
Alistair was the CEO of Ofgem, in charge of reforming the regulatory framework for the energy sectors, leading the design, implementation and application of the ‘RIIO’ framework (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs). The RIIO model offers network companies incentives for innovation and securing investment, so they can develop sustainable energy networks at the lowest cost for current and future customers. (link)
Mark was engaged by TasWater to undertake a review of the current regulatory framework for the Tasmanian water sector. The review assessed the current framework against a set of criteria set out in the WSAA 2014 report on best practice regulation.
Tim and Jason, working with Insync, led a review of the AER’s Consumer Challenge Panel to make findings and recommendations to the AER on the extent to which the existing CCP arrangements deliver on Standing Council of Energy and Resource’s objectives, and how the existing arrangements might be strengthened. (link, link)
Mark provided the Queensland Competition Authority with advice regarding the setting of pricing principles for the South East Queensland area. The advice involved a detail iteration of a QCA authored document (2014).
Tim, working with Insync, advised the AER on the determination of the values different customers place on having a reliable electricity supply, otherwise known as the value of customer reliability (VCR). The VCR links efficiency and reliability, playing a pivotal role in network planning and investment and informs the design of market and network price caps and incentives, such as for network reliability. (link)
Mark provided advice to WSAA on best practice for independent economic regulation of water services based on each of the Australian states plus the United Kingdom. The study involves a comprehensive comparative analysis of the foundational elements of each states regulatory regime and framework.
Mark was engaged to inform Queensland Urban Utilities and Gold Coast Water about the potential impacts of different elements of access and related regulatory frameworks, and the practical steps that the businesses could adopt to control these impacts.
The National Water Commission engaged the urban water industry in a process to identify future directions for urban water reform. Mark was engaged to review a number of assessment reports on pricing and economic regulation, supply-demand optimisation and business models.
Mark developed a set of best practice pricing principles that could be adopted for the regulatory framework to apply to three new retail/distribution businesses in South East Queensland. This involved reviewing the Queensland Competition Authority’s existing principles in light of its emerging new role, national pricing commitments, and regulatory practice in other jurisdictions.
URA was engaged to complete independent expenditure reviews of TasWater (operating and capital expenditure) and Aurora Energy (Cost-To Serve supporting its retail standing offer).
URA are engaged to complete a review of the prudency and efficiency of CW’s capital expenditure forecast, underpinning the 2023 price submission.
URA are currently engaged to complete an independent review of YVW’s capital expenditure and demand forecasts, to support the Board’s attestation of the 2023 price submission.
URA are currently completing an independent review of the prudency and efficiency of GW’s expenditure and demand forecasts, supporting the Board’s attestation of the 2023 price submission.
Tim, Mark and Jason completed an independent review of the prudency and efficiency of MW’s capital expenditure, operating expenditure and demand forecasts, supporting the 2021 price submission.
URA, working with GHD, reviewed the project justification documentation against the QCA’s definition of prudency and efficiency, supporting its 2021 bulk water price review.
Tim, Mark and Jason completed an independent review of GMW’s expenditure and demand forecasts against the prudency and efficiency requirements of the ESC’s regulatory framework. GMW’s forecasts were accepted in full by the ESC.
Tim, Mark and David have completed independent expenditure reviews of Seqwater (2018) and the Gladstone Area Water Board (2019).
Mark developed a econometric based consumption forecasting model for water residential and nonresidential customers. The model utilised a log linear approach and provided NEW with an ongoing tool it could utilise for year on year forecasts.
Mark, Jason and David have been involved in every single Victorian water price review, either as team members within the Commission, or as independent advisors, leading many expenditure and demand forecast reviews.
David was the Review Manager leading the independent review of Icon Water’s 2018 capital expenditure forecast.
David was Strategic Consultant as part of the team engaged to undertake a review of Water Corporation, Busselton Water and Aqwest including past and proposed capital and operating expenditure and strategic planning and asset management systems.
Mark advised Melbourne Water on the validity of the retail water businesses demand forecasts. These forecasts underlie Melbourne Water’s own five-year forecasts of bulk water and sewerage services.
David was specialist capital expenditure consultant as part of the team engaged by IPART to undertake a review of Sydney Water’s 2016 capital and operating expenditure forecasts.
URA are supporting Sunwater during its urban water pricing review, which includes a review of bulk water tariffs to local government.
URA is completing a review of interstate and Northern Territory (NT) tariff structure options, to feed into their 2023 funding submission to the NT Government.
URA recently completed a review of the Victorian water sector’s New Customer Contribution (NCC) framework (i.e. developer charges), to determine an appropriate pricing arrangement to support the 2023 price review. This review is on behalf of eight water corporations – Barwon Water, Central Highlands Water, Coliban Water, East Gippsland Water, Goulburn Valley Water, North East Water, South Gippsland Water and Westernport Water.
URA completed a review of trade waste tariff options, including recommendations for reform to support the 2023 price review.
URA completed a review of wastewater tariff options, including pedestal based charging, sewage disposal charging, unit based charging and capital value based charging.
Tim, Mark and Jason completed a review of water tariff options to support BW’s 2023 price submission.
Mark and Tim completed a review of Industrial trade waste tariff reform options.
Mark was engaged to develop an approach/method for the calculation of wholesale prices for Sydney Water and Hunter Water. The project also involved the collection and collation of the necessary building block data along with the estimation of wholesale prices across a range of services.
Mark advised Hunter Water on the establishment of a wholesale charge or price to be levied on third party retail water businesses for the provision of bulk water and bulk sewerage services.
Tim, Mark and Jason developed a thought leadership paper on tariff reform options to support the rollout of digital meters. The paper was developed in partnership with South East Water, Barwon Water and Central Highlands Water (link)
Mark undertook a critical review of Sydney Water’s approach and models for the estimation of Long Run Marginal Cost.
URA completed a review of options to support a negotiated new customer contributions framework.
URA completed a review of the cost reflectiveness of trade waste tariffs, to support the 2023 price submission.
Tim supported the development of tariff reform options to support the 2020 price submission. This included the design of tariff principles, tariff options, the assessment of those options, and testing of customer impacts under a number of different scenarios.
Tim completed a review of IPART’s Issues Paper on Developer Charges.
URA has been engaged by Seqwater to update its regulatory expenditure and pricing model for QCA Irrigation Price Review 2025-29. The update included amending the model to account for changes in Seqwater’s operating environment and ensuring that the model aligns with the 2023 Ministerial Direction guiding the QCA’s price review process.
URA was recently engaged to build a comprehensive and integrated pricing model to underpin and test the development of Sunwater’s irrigation prices are part of its irrigation price review. This includes the ability to run a number of different scenarios
URA recently completed a review of the integrity of BW’s regulatory pricing model, underpinning the development of its 2023 price submission. This includes reviewing extensions made to the ESC’s financial template.
URA developed a pricing scenario model, to support the delivery of the 2023 price submission.
URA recently reviewed YVW’s pricing model, to ensure consistency with the ESC’s financial template, and to test the accuracy of the modelling extensions applied.
URA developed a pricing scenario model, intended to support the development of the 2023 price submission. The model is designed to test a range of scenarios on EGW’s pricing, revenue and customer bills.
Mark led a team that reviewed SA Water’s regulatory models for consistency with the regulatory framework and for accuracy, to support its 2020 Regulatory Business Plan.
Mark and Tim built a pricing model for TCC, to determine its forward looking water and wastewater charges. The model includes customer bill impact analysis and scenario analysis.
Mark and Tim completed a review of TCC’s water pricing model developed by Queensland Treasury Corporation, against the Queensland Competition Authority’s Statement of Regulatory Pricing Principles for the Water Sector.
Mark and Tim developed a scenario model to support engagement with customers for the 2020 price submission. This includes providing for customer impacts under a number of different scenarios, and allowed the model user to flex critical inputs, such as capex, opex, demands and tariff structures.
Tim led a team that developed a fully integrated tariff and price model to support GVW’s 2018 price submission. This included regulatory building blocks, tariff revenue, customer bill impacts and scenario analysis regarding capex, opex, demand, price and form of price control.
Tim led a team that reviewed AGA’s post tax revenue model that it has developed to inform the next access arrangement, to provide AGA with the confidence that the model is operating consistent with the regulator’s methods, is arithmetically accurate and produces outputs that on the whole are reasonable.
Mark and Tim reviewed Telstra’s fixed line services post tax revenue model, providing critical insight into the development of Telstra’s proposed price path options.
Mark undertook a review of Melbourne Water’s cost allocation model for bulk sewerage services. The review includes significant reworking of the existing model to simplify it and break it down to its core functionality.
Mark was engaged by Sydney Water to advise on the specification of a weighted average price cap (WAPC) form of price control for inclusion in its proposal for the 2016 Price Review. The project involved the development of a user friendly pricing model that provides Sydney Water with the ability to nominate the number of tariff baskets to include in its WAPC and the tariffs that would be included in each basket. The model allowed Sydney Water to rebalance prices over the regulatory period and calculates annual pricing outcomes based on the recommended specification of WAPC.
Mark undertook a critical review of Sydney Water’s approach and models for the estimation of Long Run Marginal Cost.
Mark undertook a detailed review of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s Tariff Models for Sydney Desalination Plant, Sydney Water Corporation and the Sydney Catchment Authority. We assessed the models for errors and consistency with the broader regulatory framework.
Mark developed a generic regulatory building block model for the ACCC to be given to Owner Operator Irrigation businesses regulated under section 7 of the relevant charging rules.
Mark provided advice to a bidder for the Sydney Desalination Plant on the regulatory risks associated with ownership of the asset.
Tim was part of a senior regulatory team that undertook regulatory due diligence for one of the final bid Consortiums on the purchase of NSW’s electricity transmission business – TransGrid. This included reviewing the form and structure of the current regulatory framework, providing advice on issues relevant to value and risk, providing advice on opportunities for outperformance, and reviewing expenditure forecasts against the regulatory requirements.
David provided advice on the sale of the Rosehill water recycling plant. David was the team leader for strategic economic and regulatory issues for the due diligence process.