Regulatory & Cost-Benefit Analysis

Assessing Economic Viability

Our in-depth understanding of regulatory systems allows us to provide decisive evidence-based analysis to help decision-makers make informed decisions.

We provide practical advice – from designing regulatory systems and public interventions to detailed modelling and implementation.

Our expertise is frequently sought out by government departments, regulators and regulated entities to provide specialist support and advice on the potential impacts of regulatory and government decisions.

Our highly skilled team includes economists, former senior public officials, former regulators and skilled data analysts.

What we do

Cost-benefit analysis
Regulatory impact statements
Advice on economic regulation including price-quality regulation, market structure and regulatory interventions
Competition and market analysis
Complex modelling
Regulatory and operational strategies
Compliance and monitoring frameworks
Prioritisation and investment decision-making
Risk identification
Business cases.

Examples of our work in regulatory and cost-benefit analysis

Cost-benefit analysis of an organic waste collection service
Pricing for third-party access to water infrastructure services
Cost-benefit analysis of proposed building system regulations
Regulatory Impact Statement for the Kermadec Marine Sanctuary
Modelling wholesale price risks for downstream investment decisions
Regulatory impact statement for land information regulations
Calculating the cost burden on developers to consent infrastructure projects
Cost-benefit analysis of transmission pricing proposal
Cost-benefit analysis of community recycling centres
Cost-benefit information to support a regulatory impact statement on National Environmental Standards for Drinking Water
Development of a cost-benefit analysis database for central government
Advice on the economic regulation of Three Waters services.

We work with our clients to ensure the evidence base is fit for purpose and frequently extends beyond conventional methods to provide tailored analysis and data sets.

Key contacts

David Graham

Managing Director
MELBOURNE
dgraham@thinkSapere.com

Dr Richard Tooth

Director
SYDNEY
rtooth@thinkSapere.com

Dylan James

Principal
WELLINGTON
djames@thinkSapere.com

David Moore

Managing Director
WELLINGTON
dmoore@thinkSapere.com

Sally Carrick

Director
MELBOURNE
scarrick@thinkSapere.com

Melissa Skilbeck

Director
MELBOURNE
mskilbeck@thinkSapere.com

Michelle Hall

Managing Economist
MELBOURNE
mhall@thinkSapere.com

Jeff Loan

Principal
WELLINGTON
jloan@thinkSapere.com

Some of our recent articles of interest

The economic benefits of a circular economy in Auckland

Client: Sustainable Business Network

This report provides a view on the potential economic benefits of a more circular economy for Auckland. It has been commissioned by the Sustainable Business Network to inform its report on the circular economy opportunity for Auckland.

The emissions footprint of broadband in New Zealand

Client: Chorus

This paper provides a first assessment of the emissions footprint of the current New Zealand fibre network, with a focus on internet provision to households and small to medium-sized businesses.

Making New Zealand safer: regulating the engineering profession

Client: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment

Sapere prepared a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to support MBIE’s proposal for an occupational regulatory regime for engineers.

Infrastructure consenting for climate targets

Client: Te Waihanga / New Zealand Infrastructure Commission

This research models the impact on New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets if the current resource consenting system continues to delay decisions on infrastructure project consenting.

Māori Primary Health Care

Client: Wai 2575 Claimants

Sapere were asked by the claimants to respond to the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendation that a methodology be developed to measure the degree of underfunding of Māori PHOs and providers.

Sizing of the backyard and micro-commercial egg production in Australia

Client: Australian Eggs

Which came first the chicken or the egg? We don’t have the answer to that, but we do know the size of backyard and micro-commercial egg production in Australia.

A chance to make clinical trials sustainable, effective, and equitable in Aotearoa New Zealand

Client: Liggins Institute University of Auckland

Sapere provided extensive analytical support to a consortium of researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago on a Health Research Council (HRC) and Ministry of Health funded research project. The consortium was brought together to review Aotearoa New Zealand’s clinical trials activity and infrastructure.