IPART has made our final decisions on TAHE’s compliance with the NSW Rail Access Undertaking in 2021-22.
Our final decisions are that:
- TAHE has complied with the ceiling test for its Metropolitan Passenger Network.
- TAHE has complied with the ceiling test for the Hunter Valley Coal Network.
- TAHE has complied with the asset valuation roll forward principles in the NSW Rail Access Undertaking for its Hunter Valley Coal Network in 2021-22.
- TAHE has demonstrated to IPART’s reasonable satisfaction that access revenue for each non‑Hunter Valley coal freight sector was no more than 80% of the full economic cost of providing access.
We made a final recommendation that:
- TAHE complete its unders and overs account policy in consultation with access seekers and submit it to IPART for approval as required under clause 4(t) of Schedule 3 of the Undertaking by 31 May 2023.
Under and overs account balance has decreased for the Hunter Valley Coal Network
At the end of the 2021-22 financial year, TAHE had $6 million owing to rail users as a result of customers being charged too much in previous years. This over-recovery has reduced from $8.8 million at the end of 2020-21 due to:
- TAHE continuing to charge customers less than the costs of providing access during the 2021-22 financial year.
- An upward adjustment to the costs of providing rail access since 2015-16 due to the inclusion of a tax allowance which should have previously been included.