4 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Stu Zhang
Transport Modeller / Assets Analyst
§ Service 005 · Transport Economics
Transport Economics
Economic evaluation aligned to NZTA's Monetised Benefits and Costs Manual (MBCM). Benefit-cost ratio (BCR) analysis, multi-criteria assessment, travel-time and reliability assessment, and economic case preparation for business cases at all stages.
Who it's for
- NZTA Waka Kotahi
- Local councils
- Developers
- Infrastructure & alliance partners
The problem we solve
An investment decision needs an economic case that holds — the right benefits monetised the right way, sensitivity-tested, and consistent with the business case around it. A BCR built on shaky inputs gets unpicked at investment review, and takes the funding case down with it.
TTAP prepares the economic case to NZTA's Monetised Benefits and Costs Manual: benefits framed against the problem, monetised on defensible inputs, appraised and tested, and reported so an investment decision-maker can rely on it.
What's included
- Benefit-cost ratio (BCR) analysis
- Monetised benefits & costs (MBCM)
- Travel-time & reliability assessment
- Multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
- Sensitivity & risk analysis
- Economic case preparation
What you get
- BCR and economic appraisal to NZTA MBCM
- Monetised benefit and cost estimates
- Travel-time, reliability and safety benefit assessment
- Multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
- Sensitivity and risk testing
- Economic case for business cases at all stages
How we work
- 01
Frame the benefits
We tie the benefits to the problem and the business case so the economics and the narrative are one story.
- 02
Monetise
We monetise benefits and costs on NZTA MBCM inputs — travel time, reliability, safety, vehicle operating costs and more.
- 03
Appraise & test
We compute the BCR, run sensitivity and risk analysis, and stress the result against its key assumptions.
- 04
Report the economic case
We report the economic case in NZTA's format so it's ready for investment review.
Standards
- NZTA Monetised Benefits and Costs Manual (MBCM)
- NZTA Business Case Approach
- Treasury CBAx (where applicable)
Tools
- NZTA appraisal worksheets
- Multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
- Sensitivity & risk analysis
Relevant projects
Who leads this work
Frequently asked
What BCR do I need for funding?
There's no single threshold — NZTA weighs the BCR alongside strategic fit and the GPS priorities. What matters is that the BCR is built on defensible MBCM inputs and is honest about its sensitivities; an over-claimed BCR hurts the case more than a modest, robust one.
Can you do the economics for a business case you're not writing?
Yes — we provide the economic case as a standalone input to a business case another party is leading, using NZTA's appraisal framework so it slots in cleanly.
Do you cover multi-criteria analysis as well as BCR?
Yes. Where benefits aren't easily monetised, MCA sits alongside the BCR to give decision-makers a structured, transparent comparison of the options.