In 2010 the ACCC commissioned a consultants' report on benchmarking the price of ethanol:
Benchmarking the Price of Fuel Ethanol in Australia, prepared by Energy Quest.
In early 2009 the ACCC commissioned two consultants’ reports on the setting of the import parity price (IPP) for various fuels:
The method and basis of the setting of the import parity price (IPP) for unleaded petrol and diesel in Australia, prepared by McLennan Magasanik Associates (MMA)
Review of the appropriateness of the current LPG international benchmark in the setting of domestic LPG prices, prepared by the Allen Consulting Group (Allens).
The MMA study focused on the three main components of the IPP for regular unleaded petrol, premium unleaded petrol and diesel—namely, the refined fuel benchmark, the fuel quality premium and freight. The study addressed four key questions:
Are Singapore prices the most appropriate to use?
Which are the appropriate price benchmarks to use?
How is the quality premium determined?
Are the IPP calculations made by each of the refiner–marketers appropriate?
Allens reviewed the appropriateness of the current international LPG benchmark price for setting automotive LPG wholesale prices in Australia. The report focused on:
the appropriateness of the Saudi Aramco Contract Prices for propane and butane as the international benchmark price for automotive LPG pricing in Australia
the variability in domestic LPG prices being negotiated
the LPG market characteristics and differences with petrol and diesel markets.
