ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference 2023

Welcome

Acknowledgement of Country and opening address

Plenary 1 – Beyond efficiency?

The conference theme poses the question of whether economic efficiency is enough, as the compass or true North for public policy and regulatory frameworks applying to systems and markets.

This session explores this question in the context of essential services.

Chair: ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey

Speakers:
Ben David - Presentation ( PDF 516.17 KB )

Dinesh Kumareswaran

Lynne Gallagher

Plenary 2 – Delivering Environmental benefits using markets

Governments and non-state parties are increasingly proposing – and scrutinising - market-based solutions to addressing climate change and other environmental issues. Drawing on examples from carbon, biodiversity and financial markets, this session will ask: where are market-based approaches being developed?

Where and when have they been successful – at achieving the environmental benefit intended, promoting investment and consumer confidence, ensuring market integrity?

What are the principles we need to get right in policy design to maximise these outcomes?

What’s the role of the regulator in ensuring these markets are operating effectively?

Chair: ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh

Speakers:
Sarah Barker - Presentation ( PDF 613.34 KB )

Regina Betz - Presentation ( PDF 1.47 MB )

Ken Henry - Presentation ( PDF 155.59 KB )

Plenary 3 – How best do you achieve value for money in the human services sector?

How can governments ensure timely, affordable and high-quality delivery of human services, such as childcare, which are appropriate to consumer needs and delivered in a cost-effective manner?

Economic regulation has traditionally focussed on utilities in the energy, communications, transport and water sectors; do market failures differ for human services, are there macroeconomic and socioeconomic impacts we should consider, and can lessons from utility regulation be transferred to the human services sector (and vice versa)?

Chair: ACCC Executive General Manager Sarah Proudfoot

Speakers:
Darryl Biggar - Presentation ( PDF 941.74 KB )

Rob Bray - Presentation ( PDF 247.65 KB )

Peter Crone

Danielle Wood - Presentation ( PDF 1.32 MB )

Breakout Session 3A – The electricity market transition: international perspectives

Electricity markets are undergoing a profound transformation. In Australia, the National Electricity Market is moving from a centralised system of large fossil fuel (coal and gas) generation towards an array of smaller scale, widely dispersed wind and solar generators, hydroelectric generation, grid-scale batteries and demand response.

Similar transitions are occurring in many overseas jurisdictions. This session will bring together a panel of leading experts from the UK, US and Australia to give their perspectives on the key challenges occurring in their jurisdictions and across the globe.

Chair: AER Board Member Jim Cox

Speakers:
John Feddersen - Presentation ( PDF 536.83 KB )

Daniel Kammen - Presentation ( PDF 9.75 MB )

Akshay Kaul - Presentation ( PDF 639.91 KB )

Sally McMahon - Presentation ( PDF 3.19 MB )

Breakout Session 3B – Regulating telecommunications services to benefit all consumers

Many of our regulatory decisions are guided by the principle of ‘promoting the long-term interests of end-users’. However, the needs of individual consumers can vary widely depending on several factors such as how they use telecommunications services, geographic location and socio-economic status.

How can we ensure that our regulatory decisions meet the diverse needs of all consumers? Do we need to think beyond economic efficiency to support equity outcomes as well? Our expert panel will share some of the key issues facing particular groups of telecommunications consumers in Australia.

We will then explore how we can consider these issues to make better regulatory and public policy decisions.

Chair: ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe

Speakers: 
Michael Cosgrave - Presentation ( PDF 265.71 KB )

Gareth Downing - Presentation ( PDF 922.53 KB )

Daniel Featherstone - Presentation ( PDF 1.65 MB )

Kristy Sparrow - Presentation ( PDF 3.99 MB )

Dinner welcome

ACCC CEO Scott Gregson

Plenary 4 – Digital Platforms

Questions regarding the appropriate way to address competition issues on digital platforms continue to be at the forefront of competition policy in many parts of the world.

In this session, we will hear speakers from Asia, Europe and the United States discuss the competition concerns raised by digital platforms; potential reasons why certain digital platforms should be regulated; and how such regulation should (and should not) occur, with reference to policy developments from their respective jurisdictions.

Chair: ACCC, GM Digital Platforms, Kate Reader

Speakers:
Reiko Aoki

Daniel Francis

Annabelle Gawer

Breakout Session 5A – Human-centred regulation

The human-centred regulation session at the ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference 2023 will demonstrate the positive impact of effective design thinking in combating family violence, contributing to disaster planning, and understanding customer needs.

Jithma Beneragama will demonstrate the positive impact of effective information sharing in combating family violence, highlighting the role of the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme in safeguarding survivors and holding perpetrators accountable while respecting privacy legislation.

Ciara Sterling will present on the One Stop One Story Hub and its contribution to disaster planning, emphasising the power of collaborative social innovation.

Sabiene Heindl’s talk will demystify human-centred design, shifting the focus from expert-led processes to understanding and meeting customer needs.

Collectively, these speakers will offer valuable insights into the application of design thinking in a regulatory environment, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for consumers and markets.

Chair: AER Acting Executive General Manager, Market Performance, Stephanie Jolly

Speakers:
Jithma Beneragama - Presentation ( PDF 277.5 KB )

Sabiene Heindl - Presentation ( PDF 867.39 KB )

Ciara Sterling - Presentation ( PDF 1.88 MB )

Breakout Session 5B – Chief Economists in conversation: public sector economics

What are the big issues public sector economists currently face in the Australian economy?

Are economists achieving cut-through in shaping public policy?

Should public sector economists be re-thinking how they go about influencing policy?

Chair: AER Board Member Jarrod Ball

Speakers:
Rosalyn Bell

Jenny Gordon

Meghan Quinn PSM

Conference close

With ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb