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Infrastructure & Transport

Planning, Procuring and Delivering Infrastructure

We help our clients solve the complex problems they face in planning, procuring and delivering infrastructure. 

Our experts have a detailed understanding of key infrastructure sectors, the challenges facing countries’ decarbonisation shifts, and the planning processes that developers and local authorities must navigate. 

We offer financial and economic modelling expertise within the transport, energy, water, natural resources, telecommunications, civic infrastructure, and urban planning and development sectors.

We provide support in:

  • Developing legislative and policy settings
  • Planning, preparation and decision-making, including through business cases and cost-benefit analysis
  • Financing and procurement
  • Regulation and the efficient operation of infrastructure.

Developing legislative and policy settings

We provide advice to policymakers on the strategic infrastructure issues they are confronting and ensure planning and consenting processes are fit for purpose. 

We are also a trusted source of advice on transitioning to a net zero economy.

Examples of our work developing legislation and policy include:

  • National cost-benefit analysis for the proposed move of the Port of Auckland out of Auckland City
  • Advice on developing low-carbon electricity systems, including both the economics of electrification and the use of hydrogen
  • Insights and cost modelling of the burden infrastructure developers face for consenting projects.

Planning, preparation and decision-making

Our skilled teams are regularly sought out by clients to assist in developing investment frameworks and providing support through complex decision-making processes. 

We are experts at undertaking strategic assessments of investment options, demand and service forecasting, cost-benefit analysis and developing business cases.

Examples of our infrastructure planning work include:

  • Drafting the indicative and detailed business cases for the new Dunedin Hospital
  • Developing a financial and economic analysis for the final business case for a new creative industries precinct development in Sydney
  • Drafting a programme business case and single-stage business case for the Hillmorton Hospital campus redevelopment
  • Developing a cost-benefit analysis of an extension to the runway at Wellington International Airport
  • Drafting an investment case for new capital expenditure in intensive care and inpatient facilities to manage COVID-19 in an endemic state.

 

Financing and procurement

Our services include advice on governance and delivery structures, the use of public-private partnerships and financial planning.

Examples of our financing and procurement work include:

  • Advice on funding options for local authority infrastructure replacement 
  • Developing an estimation formula for measuring the balance between private and public benefits
  • Advice on an infrastructure funding and financing model for private infrastructure finance sourcing
  • Valuation of public-private infrastructure partnership investments held by a superannuation fund.

 

Regulation and the efficient operation of infrastructure

A core part of what we do is to provide advice on the economic regulation of infrastructure services, including:

  • Pricing
  • Demand modelling
  • Funding and asset renewals
  • Emissions trading and reductions
  • Climate resilience and adaptation
  • Forecasting.

 

Examples of our infrastructure regulation work include:

  • Developing economic regulation models for fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure 
  • Advice on efficient pricing and marginal costs of public transport
  • Pricing of airport and aeronautical services, including landing charges, terminal space, freight, baggage handling and car parking
  • Comprehensive pricing study of drinking water and wastewater services
  • Advice on seaport charges such as berthage, storage and stevedoring for existing and new purpose-built facilities.

 

Publications

  • Infrastructure consenting for climate 
  • Cost of consenting infrastructure projects in New Zealand
  • Economic value of Ultra Fast Broadband in New Zealand
  • Business case for investment in low voltage network monitoring
  • Transitioning to zero net emissions by 2050
  • Review of the fiscal cost estimate of moving to averaging accounting for existing forests within the emissions trading scheme
  • The costs and benefits of an allocation of water to iwi.
Sapere’s economists are experts in comparative analysis and developing cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects that can withstand investor and public scrutiny.

Key contacts

David Moore

Dr Richard Tooth

Matt Balmford

Sally Carrick

Mehrnaz Rohani

Some of our recent articles of interest

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How can governments effectively assess and manage climate risk to ensure a sustainable future?

  • Client: Department of Treasury (Western Australia)
Sapere provided expert advice on the design of a Climate Risk Framework for the WA government, exploring options for a staged approach, and aligning with international standards for climate risk disclosure, to support Western Australia's climate resilience efforts.
Read more
Financial management

What if every public sector officer could master financial management?

  • Client: Department of Treasury (Western Australia)
The Financial Management Act 2006 forms the backbone of financial management for the WA Government, yet many public sector officers lacked familiarity with its provisions. In response, the WA Treasury asked Sapere to develop a comprehensive training program to improve practice and behaviour.
Read more

Utility pricing – to block or not to block

Rather than provide a volume discount, some utilities charge a higher rate for greater use. This approach, known as an inclining or rising block tariff, is often advocated as being a fair way to encourage conservation. But is this really the case? This article investigates.
Read more

How low-density housing is making us poorer

Enabling a higher density of businesses and houses can bring many benefits to cities. It makes us as individuals, and as a society, richer – and not only in monetary terms. More choices of where to live, and less land per home, means lower house prices.
Read more

Growing social housing—Building Financial Capacity of Housing Agencies program evaluation

  • Client: Department of Treasury and Finance (Victoria)
The Victorian Treasury offered A$1.1 billion in low-cost, long-term low-interest loans and state guarantees to community housing agencies. Our evaluation of this program managed the complexity of complementary social housing funding and financing programs in our analysis.
Read more

Expanding Victoria’s Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) System

  • Client: Victorian Department of Health
SafeScript is the Victorian Government’s RTPM system. It enables prescribing registered medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and dispensing pharmacists to access accurate and up-to-date information regarding a patient’s medication history with respect to specific high-risk medicines in real time.
Read more

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.
Read more

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.
Read more

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