Capital expenditure claim

Status
In progress

We assess the prudency and efficiency of Aurizon Network’s capital expenditure to determine if it should be included in Aurizon Network’s regulatory asset base for the Central Queensland coal network.

The assessment framework is set out in Aurizon Network’s 2017 access undertaking (clause 7A.11.6 and schedule E).

Capital expenditure claim 2023-24

Aurizon Network submitted its 2023-24 capital expenditure claim on 10 September 2024.

We will assess Aurizon Network’s capital expenditure claim to determine if it should be included in Aurizon Network’s regulatory asset base for the Central Queensland coal network.

As part of our assessment, we will determine:

• the extent to which the asset replacement and renewal expenditure is consistent with the approved renewals strategy and budget (where relevant) and the prudency and efficiency of capital expenditure that departs from this
• the prudency and efficiency of other capital expenditure, including for works undertaken as part of an interim renewals strategy and budget.

We asked for submissions on Aurizon Network’s claim and received 1 response.

We are continuing our assessment.

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11 September 2024 Submission Aurizon Network – Submission FY24 Capital Expenditure Claim – Redacted pdf, 5.28 Mb
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11 October 2024 Submission QRC – submission Aurizon Network 2023-24 capital expenditure claim pdf, 112.87 Kb
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11 September 2024 Notice Stakeholder notice AN 2023-24 capital expenditure claim pdf, 157.54 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2022–23

Aurizon Network submitted its 2022–23 capital expenditure claim on 19 September 2023.

Aurizon Network’s claim included capital expenditure consistent with the approved 2022–23 renewals strategy and budget (RSB) for each coal system, expenditure deferred from 2021–22, and additional (or substitute) scope that Aurizon Network identified as requiring prioritisation during FY23.

As part of our assessment we engaged AECOM to provide engineering advice on the prudency and efficiency of Aurizon Network’s capital expenditure claim.

We approved the 2022–23 capital expenditure claim on 18 April 2024.

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18 April 2024 Final report Aurizon Networks 2022-23 capital expenditure claim – Final decision pdf, 157.81 Kb
18 April 2024 Consultant report AECOM Report – Aurizon Networks 2022-23 capital expenditure claim pdf, 8.33 Mb
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19 September 2023 Submission AN FY2023 Capital Expenditure Claim submission pdf, 1.37 Mb
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20 September 2023 Notice Stakeholder notice – AN 2022-23 capital expenditure claim pdf, 164.61 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2021–22

Aurizon Network submitted its 2021–22 capital expenditure claim on 19 September 2022.

Aurizon Network’s claim stated that it included capital expenditure consistent with the approved renewals strategy and budget (RSB) for each coal system, expenditure that departed from the RSB, and expenditure that was not included in the RSB.

We released a draft decision on 20 December 2022. In response, Aurizon Network provided additional information in support of its claim, including requests to amend claim amounts for interest during construction, the bridge ballast program and system track renewals.

After we considered this information, we accepted Aurizon Network’s amended 2021–22 capital expenditure claim.

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23 March 2023 Final report Aurizon Network capital expenditure claim 2021–22—final decision pdf, 253.19 Kb
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15 December 2022 Draft report Aurizon Network capital expenditure claim 2021–22—draft decision pdf, 201.31 Kb
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19 September 2022 Submission Aurizon Network FY22 capital claim—final pdf, 1.48 Mb
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17 October 2022 Submission Queensland Resources Council submission on Aurizon Network FY22 capital expenditure claim (redacted) pdf, 324.95 Kb
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26 September 2022 Notice QCA stakeholder notice—Aurizon Network capital expenditure claim for 2021–22 pdf, 165.98 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2020–21

Aurizon Network submitted its 2020–21 capital expenditure claim on 17 September 2021.

Aurizon Network’s claim consisted of three parts, relating to:

  • the delivery of Aurizon Network’s advanced planning and scheduling (APS) system
  • asset replacement and renewal expenditures
  • the Starlee passing loop project.

We engaged Arcadis to provide engineering advice on the prudency and efficiency of Aurizon Network’s capital expenditure claim for its APS project.

We approved the 2020–21 capital expenditure claim on 21 April 2022.

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21 April 2022 Aurizon Network 2020-21 capital expenditure claim – Letter and determination pdf, 472.89 Kb
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29 September 2021 Submission Aurizon Network 2020-21 capital expenditure claim pdf, 4.57 Mb
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21 April 2022 Submission Arcadis – Advanced Planning and Scheduling system pdf, 1.80 Mb
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21 April 2022 Submission Aurizon Network – Response to the QCA draft decision pdf, 282.10 Kb
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01 October 2021 Notice Stakeholder notice 1 – Aurizon Network’s capital expenditure claim pdf, 157.46 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2019–20

Aurizon Network submitted its 2019–20 capital expenditure claim on 31 July 2020.

We engaged Arcadis to provide engineering advice on the prudency and efficiency of Aurizon Network’s claim. A sample of projects was chosen for Arcadis to assess.

We approved the 2019–20 capital expenditure claim on 19 February 2021.

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19 February 2021 Final report QCA – decision notice pdf, 362.25 Kb
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29 January 2021 Submission Aurizon Network – response to stakeholder submissions on the consultant report pdf, 300.91 Kb
03 September 2020 AN–Capital expenditure report 2019–20 pdf, 822.09 Kb
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10 December 2020 Arcadis – Assessment of Aurizon Network’s 2019-20 capex pdf, 17.28 Mb
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19 January 2021 Submission Glencore–Submission on Arcadis’ report pdf, 164.61 Kb
15 January 2021 Submission QCoal–Submission on Arcadis’ report pdf, 1.06 Mb
13 November 2024 , NaN b
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03 September 2020 QCA–Stakeholder notice and sample list pdf, 761.21 Kb
10 December 2020 QCA – Stakeholder Notice – Publication of Arcadis report pdf, 157.07 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2018–19

Aurizon Network submitted its 2018–19 capital expenditure claim on 25 October 2019 and subsequently amended the claim on 22 November 2019 and 19 December 2019.

We engaged Flagstaff Consulting Group (FCG) to provide engineering advice on the prudency and efficiency of Aurizon Network’s claim. A sample of projects was chosen for assessment.

Aurizon Network further submitted a revised claim on 30 April 2020 in response to the consultant’s report and our initial assessment.

We approved the revised 2018–19 capital expenditure claim on 27 May 2020.

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01 June 2020 Final report QCA – decision notice pdf, 392.05 Kb
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25 October 2019 Submission AN—Capital expenditure report 2018–19 pdf, 1000.39 Kb
22 November 2019 Submission AN—Amendment to 2018–19 capital expenditure claim pdf, 225.93 Kb
24 February 2020 Submission Aurizon Network FY19 Capital Expenditure – Amendment December pdf, 294.60 Kb
01 June 2020 Submission Aurizon Network – response to decision – revised 2018-19 claim pdf, 333.67 Kb
01 June 2020 Submission Aurizon Network – submission on consultant report pdf, 913.31 Kb
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24 February 2020 Consultant report Flagstaff – Flowchart methodology assessment of Aurizon Network 2018-19 capex pdf, 191.11 Kb
24 February 2020 Consultant report Flagstaff – Assessment of Aurizon Network 2018-19 capex pdf, 18.68 Mb
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11 November 2019 Notice QCA—Stakeholder notice and sample list pdf, 692.83 Kb
27 November 2019 Notice QCA—Amended sample list pdf, 549.09 Kb
24 February 2020 Notice QCA—December Amended sample list pdf, 549.89 Kb

Capital expenditure claim 2017–18

Aurizon Network initially submitted its 2017–18 capital expenditure claim on 31 October 2018. It amended its claim on 16 November 2018.

We approved most of Aurizon Network’s amended capital expenditure claim for 2017–18, except for two projects that required adjustments, as outlined in our decision notice.

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24 October 2019 Final report QCA—final decision notice pdf, 2.28 Mb
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12 September 2019 Submission Aurizon Network—response to draft decision pdf, 13.06 Mb
24 June 2019 Submission Aurizon Network—submission on consultant report (redacted) pdf, 17.68 Mb
31 October 2018 Submission Aurizon Network—letter pdf, 203.62 Kb
16 November 2018 Submission Aurizon Network—amendment letter pdf, 300.98 Kb
16 November 2018 Submission Aurizon Network—amended capital expenditure claim 2017–18 report pdf, 1.33 Mb
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02 October 2019 Consultant report AECOM—October notice of advice (redacted) pdf, 1.12 Mb
24 July 2019 Consultant report AECOM—July notice of advice (redacted) pdf, 979.92 Kb
24 May 2019 Consultant report AECOM—assessment report (redacted) pdf, 979.59 Kb
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03 December 2018 Submission Pacific National—submission on Aurizon Network’s claim pdf, 454.60 Kb
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27 May 2019 Notice QCA—stakeholder notice on consultant report pdf, 546.24 Kb
14 February 2019 Notice QCA—amended sample notice pdf, 558.95 Kb
19 November 2018 Notice QCA—stakeholder notice and sample list pdf, 693.99 Kb
20 September 2018 Other documents QCA—assessment approach for Aurizon Network’s 2017–18 capital expenditure claim pdf, 648.13 Kb