Queensland Rail's costing manual

The QCA approved Queensland Rail’s costing manual on 22 October. The costing manual guides the preparation of its regulatory financial statements.

Queensland Rail sought to reflect changes in its operating environment and the move to a new undertaking (AU2), and simplify the language and the complexity of the document.

Details of Queensland Rail’s proposal, the submission we received and our decision are below.

Queensland Rail’s costing manual guides the preparation of its regulatory financial statements.

On 25 March 2020, Queensland Rail submitted proposed amendments to us for approval, which consisted of minor changes to the standard allocators to be applied for 2019–20. We approved the amendments to the costing manual on 23 April  2020.

Our decision is available below.

Queensland Rail’s costing manual guides the preparation of its regulatory financial statements.

On 25 January 2019, Queensland Rail submitted proposed amendments to us for approval, which consisted of minor changes to the standard allocators to be applied for 2018–19. We approved the amendments to the costing manual on 14 February 2019.

Our decision is available below.

Queensland Rail’s cost allocation manual guides the preparation of its regulatory financial statements.

On 27 February 2018, Queensland Rail submitted proposed amendments to us for approval, setting out minor changes to the standard allocators to be applied for 2017–18. We approved the amendments to the cost allocation manual on 23 May 2018.

Our decision is available below.

On 19 June 2017, we released our final decision to refuse to accept Queensland Rail’s proposed 2016 cost allocation manual. We received three submissions on its draft decision, from Queensland Rail, New Hope Group, and Pacific National. We also released the cost allocation manual that we prepared for use by Queensland Rail.

These documents are available below.

Queensland Rail’s draft cost allocation manual

The cost allocation manual, as approved by the QCA, would be used by Queensland Rail to prepare its regulatory financial statements for 2016—17, and potentially for subsequent years until the manual is further revised.

Regulatory process

22 July 2016—The QCA made a request to Queensland Rail to prepare a revised cost allocation manual by 21 September 2016.

18 August 2016—Queensland Rail requested an extension to 31 December 2016 to submit its cost allocation manual to the QCA.

9 September 2016—The QCA granted Queensland Rail an extension to 23 December 2016.

22 December 2016—Queensland Rail submitted its proposed cost allocation manual for the QCA’s consideration under section 159 of the QCA Act.

17 February 2017—The period closed for lodging submissions on Queensland Rail’s proposed cost allocation manual. The QCA received two submissions—from New Hope Group and Pacific National.

10 April 2017—The QCA released its draft decision to refuse to approve Queensland Rail’s proposed cost allocation manual.

10 May 2017—The period closed for lodging submissions on the QCA’s draft decision. The QCA received three submissions—from Queensland Rail, New Hope Group, and Pacific National.

19 June 2017—The QCA released its final decision on Queensland Rail’s proposed cost allocation manual.

On 24 April 2013, we released our final decision to accept Queensland Rail’s proposed 2013 cost allocation manual.

We approved amendments in March 2012 to the costing manual of Queensland Rail Ltd (QRail) that QRail proposed to reflect its separation from QR National Limited.

This approval applied to both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 regulatory accounts.

On 21 April 2011, we approved the proposed changes to the costing manual as they were consistent with the QCA Act and provided for an appropriate regulatory financial report by QRail, given the unusual circumstances of the 2009–10 financial year.

On 15 April 2011, Queensland Rail Ltd (QRail) wrote to the QCA proposing amendments to its costing manual.

The amendments were designed to allow QRail to finalise its regulatory financial reports for the 2009–10 financial year, given the circumstances where QRail did not trade during that year, as the business did not exist as a separate entity until the final minutes of June 2010.