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

Managing Director
WELLINGTON
dmoore@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.