Issued Tuesday 6 April 2004

The Commerce Commission will hold a three day conference next week on its draft Optimised Deprival Valuation (ODV) Handbook. The conference is part of the Commission's consultation with interested parties on the development of an ODV Handbook for large electricity lines businesses, under Part 4A of the Commerce Act.

The Commission issued its draft ODV Handbook on 23 December 2003, and invited interested parties to make written submissions on the draft. The conference provides an opportunity for interested parties to present their submissions orally and for the Commission to ask questions based on those submissions.

The conference will be held from Wednesday 14 April to Friday 16 April 2004 in the Commission's ground floor conference room located in the NGC Building, 44-52 The Terrace, Wellington. A copy of the conference programme is attached.

The Commission received 16 submissions on its draft ODV Handbook. All submissions, and a copy of the Commission's draft ODV Handbook, can be found on the Commission's website, www.comcom.govt.nz under Electricity Information Disclosure.

 

Background

On 11 September 2003, the Commission released an Issues Paper relating to the development of an ODV Handbook to be used by large electricity lines businesses (distribution businesses and Transpower New Zealand Limited) for the purpose of valuing their system fixed assets under the regulatory regime pursuant to Part 4A of the Commerce Act. Written submissions on the Issues Paper, due on 14 November 2003, were received from 15 interested parties. The Commission engaged Parsons Brinckerhoff Associates Ltd. (PB Associates) as the principal consultant to assist with the development of an ODV Handbook.

The Commission's draft ODV Handbook was released on 23 December 2003 together with an associated report from PB Associates. The Commission invited written submissions on the draft ODV Handbook by 9 February 2004 and indicated that submissions could, where appropriate, address the contents of the associated report. The Commission received 16 submissions.

The Issues Paper, draft ODV Handbook and all related submissions are published on the Commission's website www.comcom.govt.nz under Electricity Information Disclosure.

The Commission proposes that the finalised ODV Handbook resulting from the ongoing consultation process will be used by lines businesses to establish system fixed asset valuations as at 1 April 2004 for distribution businesses and 1 July 2004 for Transpower. The Commission proposes to use such valuations in relation to the both targeted control regime and the information disclosure regime under subpart 1 and subpart 3 of Part 4A of the Commerce Act, respectively.

 

Media contact:

Jackie Maitland, Communications Manager

Phone work (04) 924 3708, mobile 029 924 3708

 

Commission media releases can be viewed on its web site www.comcom.govt.nz.

 

ODV Handbook Conference

Date Time Party Giving Submission
Wed 14 April 2004 10:00am - 10:15am Opening Remarks by the Chair
  10:15am - 11:00am WEL Networks
  11:00am - 12:00pm Unison Networks
  Lunch: 12:00pm - 1:00pm

  1:00pm - 2:00pm Kerslake and Partners
  2:00pm - 3:00pm Electricity Networks Association
  Break: 3:00pm - 3:15pm  
  3:15pm - 4:15pm Marlborough Lines
  4:15pm - 5:15pm Nelson Electricity
  5:15pm - 5:45pm Counties Power
     
Thurs 15 April 2004 8:30am - 10:30am Transpower NZ
  Break: 10:30am - 10:45am  
  10:45am - 12:45pm Pricewaterhouse Coopers
  Lunch: 12:45pm - 1:45pm  
  1:45pm - 3:15pm Powerco
  Break: 3:15pm - 3:30pm  
  3:30pm - 5:15pm Powerco
     
Fri 16 April 2004 8:30am - 10:30am Orion NZ
  Break: 10:30am - 10:45am  
  10:45am - 12:45pm Orion NZ
  Lunch: 12:45pm - 1:45pm  
  1:45pm - 3:15pm Major Energy Users' Group
  Break: 3:15pm - 3:30pm  
  3:30pm - 5:15pm Vector
  5:15pm - 5:30pm Closing Remarks by the Chair