We were recently asked by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) to examine the financial and budgetary drivers behind the Victorian Government’s decision to accelerate the closure of its [...]
Frontier Economics was commissioned by the Water Services Association of Australia to produce a report to explain economic efficiency to the water sector.
Frontier Economics was commissioned by the Water Services Association of Australia to produce a report to explain economic efficiency to the water sector.
Frontier Economics' recently provided advice to several clients in regards to the Queensland Competition Authority's process for their approach to climate change related expenditure. This [...]
Frontier Economics' recently provided advice to several clients in regards to the Queensland Competition Authority's process for their approach to climate change related expenditure. This [...]
This bulletin explains why it is essential for regulators in Australia to adopt financeability tests as standard practice whenever they make a regulatory determination, and to take the results of [...]
Warwick Davis' view on the ACCC’s proposed merger reforms for processes and legal tests for merger clearance, and the differences in the US. Following from his participation at the International [...]
A summary of the address given by Dinesh Kumareswaran, Director of Frontier Economics, during the first plenary session titled 'Beyond efficiency", at the 2023 ACCC/AER economic regulation [...]
Developer groups have opposed Sydney Water and Hunter Water’s planned reintroduction of infrastructure contributions (or ‘developer charges’). These charges to developers help recover the [...]
With the Victorian government announcing an end to native forest logging by 1 January 2024, we revisit a recent report prepared for WWF–Australia (World Wide Fund for Nature Australia) in August [...]
The economics of water security in Australia’s hydrogen transition.
Building a business case to confidently manage climate-related risks and opportunities
Addressing urban heat requires integrated planning, economics and quantifying the value of urban cooling.
A clear view of the outcomes we want in our urban landscape is key to unlocking funding for green infrastructure.
Frontier Economics investigates thermal waste-to-energy, exploring the drivers of emissions and the trade-offs between landfill energy and thermal waste-to-energy.
Frontier Economics explains Australia's proposed news media bargaining code.
Frontier Economics outlines the 2030 emissions state of play and discusses the implications for Australia's Paris 2030 emissions targets.
To realise a policy vision of greener cities and liveable future urban landscapes, we need to embed green infrastructure into traditional infrastructure planning processes.
Real options analysis values flexibility explicitly, enabling better decision making in infrastructure investments compared with standard techniques.
This bulletin looks at government investment into commercial firms prompted by the QLD Government's possible investment in Virgin Australia.
Using value capture to fund infrastructure makes infrastructure investment more equitable and productive.
Wind and solar generation in the National Electricity Market is examined in this bulletin, with focus on the implications for supply diversity.
This bulletin from Frontier Economics examines the claims of market gouging by generators in the National Electricity Market following the closure of Hazelwood Power Station.
This bulletin from Frontier Economics looks at the issue of an NBN write-down of assets and explores the links between pricing, write-downs and value.
This bulletin from Frontier Economics looks at valuing the real impacts of rail and making a compelling business case for investing in this infrastructure.
This bulletin from Frontier Economics looks at econometrics and discusses some examples of when econometric modelling goes awry.
As the public increasingly embraces ride sharing, the discussion has extended from the implications for the taxi industry to the potential for it to also disrupt public transport. This bulletin [...]
We project that Australia will comfortably meet its 2030 28% emissions target for the electricity sector due to existing and announced policies supporting energy efficiency, renewables and [...]
A recent decision by The Australian Competition Tribunal brings into sharp focus a difference between economists and the courts in their approach to facts. The decision is Application by Sea [...]
Australia needs at least $300 billion, and up to $700 billion, spent on infrastructure over the short to medium term if it is to maintain and improve its productivity and liveability [1].
Earlier this year, a joint media release by the Australian Treasurer (Scott Morrison), Prime Minister (Malcolm Turnbull) and the Minister for Small Business (Kelly O’Dwyer) was headed “Fixing [...]
A recent judgment by the Australian Competition Tribunal leaves it open to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to consider whether it would be in the long-term interests of consumers of [...]
The Australian Competition Tribunal’s recent judgment found in favour of the businesses that sought merits review of the Australian Energy Regulator’s revenue determinations, on most of the [...]
In an earlier bulletin, Uber Regulated? we examined the case for regulating so-called “sharing economy” services, like Uber and Airbnb. In this companion piece, we discuss why it is important to [...]
Inaccurate traffic forecasts are not a recent phenomenon. However, these inaccuracies are increasingly being exposed as a result of the greater involvement of the private sector in road development.
How We Should Regulate ‘Smartphone’ Taxi Apps. The emergence of smartphone-based apps to order and pay for taxis could revolutionise how these markets work – and reduce the need for onerous regulation.
Explicit agreements among competitors that fix prices are illegal – and for good reason. If the collusion is successful, prices will be higher and output lower. But cartels are not always very [...]
As excitement over the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil mounts, Frontier’s economists have been getting into the party spirit in the way that only economists can: by collecting data.
A fundamental objective of economic regulation is to ensure a regulated firm has a reasonable opportunity to recover its efficiently-incurred costs. Without this opportunity, such a firm will no [...]
Christmas is a time for family, food and – of course – presents. But rumour has it that the best presents only go to the “nice” kids, with “naughty” ones finding nothing more than a lump of coal [...]
Most people have bought products on an impulse that they did not need – the new gadgets in the kitchen cupboards, the exercise equipment in the garage or the unworn clothes in the wardrobe. Often [...]
Do estimates of virtual water and food miles really help consumers to make environmentally friendly choices?
The rise of the internet has drastically reduced the costs of media production and paved the way for the entry of new firms into a traditionally highly concentrated industry.
Making negotiations between airports and airlines work. Australia, New Zealand and the UK have adopted different approaches to regulating airports. However, all place some reliance on direct [...]
It’s easier to think of economists as the prophets of trading doom than as Santa’s little helpers – too busy telling everybody what’s happening to productivity, energy demand and like-for-like [...]
Communications, media and entertainment services are converging fast, with the digitisation of content and the emergence of new delivery platforms transforming consumer choices and shifting [...]
On Monday 28 February 2011, the Climate Institute, an Australian interest group, released a study that claims that a 25% reduction on 2000 level greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 would be positive [...]
Some studies and commentary have recently raised the issue of carbon certainty for the electricity sector. The uncertainty regarding whether a carbon price will be introduced in Australia means [...]
The ACCC has been placing increased emphasis on the possibility of ‘coordinated effects’ as a reason for deciding to oppose mergers between firms. While concerns about mergers resulting in [...]
The Minister for Communications and Technology in New Zealand has finally accepted a recommendation from the New Zealand Commerce Commission (NZCC) to regulate mobile termination rates (MTRs). [...]
Adaptation in climate policy is about reducing the harm, or seizing the opportunities, caused by climate change. Unlike mitigation, which focuses on the reduction of greenhouse emissions, [...]
Many holders of patents (and some intellectual property lawyers) do not realise that the exercise of patent rights is constrained by the provisions of the Australian Trade Practices Act 1974.
The Australian Government has commenced the roll-out of a national wholesale-only high-speed broadband access network, and is considering the regulatory arrangements that should apply to this network.
