ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference

9:10 to 10:30

Plenary 1

International update, perspectives and implications for Australia

Chair: Cristina Cifuentes, Commissioner, ACCC

Speakers

• Mar Beltran, Senior Director, Infrastructure Sector, S&P Global Ratings, Madrid
• David Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Alberta
• Bill Kovacic, Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy, Professor of Law, and Director, Competition Law Center, George Washington University

11:00 to 12:30

Plenary 2

Regulation of digital and intangible assets

Chair: Roger Featherston, Commissioner, ACCC

Speakers:

• Eliana Garcés, Principal, Washington, The Brattle Group
• Peter Harris, Chair, Productivity Commission
• Catherine de Fontenay, Associate Professor, Melbourne Business School

1:30 to 3:00

Breakout 1A

Expanding the role of consumers in regulatory determinations

Chair: Jim Cox, Board Member, AER

Speakers:

• Stephen Littlechild, Fellow, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and Emeritus Professor, University of Birmingham
• Iain Walker, Executive Director, newDemocracy Foundation
• Pat McCafferty, Managing Director, Yarra Valley Water
• Rosemary Sinclair, CEO, Energy Consumers Australia

1:30 to 3:00

Breakout 1B

Economic regulation of PPP infrastructure

Chair: Anna Brakey, Executive Director, IPART

Speakers:

• Mar Beltran, Senior Director, Infrastructure Sector, S&P Global Ratings, Madrid
• David Greig, Strategy Director, New Zealand Ministry of Transport
• Warwick Davis, Economist, Frontier Economics

3:30 to 5:00

Breakout 2A

What implications do the interplay of provider of “last resort” obligations and changing technology have for best-practice regulation?

Chair: Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair, ACMA

Speakers:

• David Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Alberta
• Eliana Garcés, Principal, The Brattle Group, Washington
• Gerard Brody, CEO, Consumer Action Law Centre

3:30 to 5:00

Breakout 2B

The role of regulators in contributing to regulatory public policy

Chair: Delia Rickard, Deputy Chair, ACCC

Speakers:

• Bill Kovacic, Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy, Professor of Law, and Director, Competition Law Center, George Washington University
• Alan Kirkland, CEO, Choice
• Rose Webb, Commissioner, NSW Fair Trading

6:30 to 7:00

7:00 to 10:00

Pre-dinner drinks

Conference dinner

9:00-10:30

Plenary 3

After merits review – collaboration or expanded judicial review?

Chair: Paula Conboy, Chair, AER

Speakers:

• Luigi Carbone, Judge of the Supreme Administrative Court of Italy, and former Commissioner at the Italian Regulatory Authority for Electricity, Gas and Water
• Ruth Higgins SC, Barrister, Banco Chambers
• Leanne Hanna, Senior Legal Counsel, Simply Energy

New Frontiers in Regulation - extended Q&A

Moderator: Michelle Groves, CEO, AER

Panellists: Conference speakers

(TBC pending topics of top voted questions)