In our Strategic Plan 2020–25, one of our stated objectives is to incentivise proposals that reflect consumer preferences and are capable of acceptance. To support this objective, we have developed the Better Resets Handbook - Towards consumer-centric network proposals (the Handbook).
Revenue determinations involve an extensive regulatory process in which we confirm how much a network distribution or transmission business can recover from its consumers over a five-year period. The Handbook sets out the way we want to undertake our revenue determinations going forward, placing greater emphasis on high quality consumer engagement and offering more clarity on what we consider would be in a proposal that is capable of acceptance.
With the overarching aim of creating a more efficient process that is better for consumers in the long-term, the Handbook outlines our expectations in the key areas of tariffs, forecast expenditure, and depreciation. It also outlines what genuine consumer engagement looks like in a reset process and how it can lead to well-justified revenue proposals.
We have also retired the Consumer engagement guideline for Network Service Providers, which was published as part of the Better Regulation Reform Program in 2013. The Better Resets Handbook supersedes the information in the Consumer engagement guideline.