Cost of capital

On Friday 13 December 2013, the QCA hosted a WACC Forum focused on aspects of the QCA’s methodological review of its approach to setting the WACC for regulatory decisions, as well as on the QCA’s assessment of Aurizon Network’s 2013 DAU.

To assist in both matters, the QCA has engaged consultants, particularly Dr Martin Lally (Victoria University of Wellington) and Dr Michael Lawriwsky (Incenta Economic Consulting).  The Forum was attended by representatives from Aurizon Network, the coal industry, train operators and the water industry.

The information gathered by QCA staff at the Forum may be used to inform the QCA’s views on various WACC issues.  To the extent that QCA staff contributed to the discussion, the views expressed were their own and do not, in any way, bind the QCA.

On the 13 December 2013 the QCA held a WACC forum that covered a number of issues that have arisen as part of the QCA’s cost of capital methodology review, as well as a number of specific issues that are relevant to the QCA’s consideration of Aurizon Network’s 2013 DAU.

On 25 October 2013, the QCA published three methodology papers on: cost of debt; gamma; and the risk-free rate and the market risk premium, followed by another methodological paper on gamma.  On 29 November 2013, the QCA published an Aurizon Network specific paper on cost of debt.  It is noted that this paper is based on Aurizon Network’s proposed WACC averaging period of 20 business days ending 31 October 2013.  On 11 December 2013, the QCA published a second Aurizon Network specific paper on regulatory capital structure and asset/equity beta.

On 13 December 2013, during the WACC Forum, the QCA’s consultants (Dr Martin Lally and Dr Michael Lawriwsky) presented these papers and Aurizon Network, the coal industry and water utilities were invited to respond.

The QCA invited written submissions on all of these papers by 20 January 2014.  The QCA has published five stakeholders’ submissions (these submissions, and the papers, can be downloaded below).

More submissions on the methodological papers can be found on the research page.