8.2.1  Types of risk

The Partnerships Victoria documentation provides guidance on ten types of risk and outlines the government's preferred position on each risk category (exhibit 8.1).

Exhibit 8.1:

Risks identified in Partnerships Victoria policy

Risk

Explanation

Site risks

Existing structure (inadequacy), site conditions, approvals, environmental clean-up and rehabilitation (contamination, pollution), native title, cultural heritage and availability of site

Design, construction and commissioning risk

Design, construction, commissioning

Sponsor and financial risk

Interest rates pre-completion, sponsor risk, financing unavailable, further finance, change in ownership, refinancing benefit, tax changes

Operating risk

Inputs, maintenance and refurbishment, changes in output specification outside agreed specification range, operator failure, technical obsolescence or innovation, general market downturn, competition, demographic change, inflation

Market risk

General economic downturn, competition, demographic change, inflation

Network and interface risk

Withdrawal of support network, changes in competitive network, interface

Industrial relations risk

Industrial relations and civil commotion

Legislative and government policy risk

Approvals, changes in law/policy, regulation

Force majeure risk

Force majeure

Asset ownership risk

Technical obsolescence, default and termination, residual value on transfer to government

Source:  Department of Treasury and Finance (2001) Risk Allocation and Contractual Issues, Appendix A, pp.178-191