Discussion (INT1055_09-04_COMPdec13_01-14)

AASB 116 requires the depreciable amount of an asset to be allocated over the asset’s useful life on a systematic basis that reflects the consumption of the asset’s future economic benefits, with the Standard defining useful life in relation to the availability of the asset to the entity.  The depreciation expense is determined by reference to the depreciable amount of the asset after consideration of such matters as obsolescence, changes in demand and other factors that might give rise to consumption or loss of the future economic benefits represented by the asset.  AASB 116 states that, with some exceptions, land has an unlimited useful life and therefore is not depreciated.  Where land has a limited useful life, it is depreciated.

This Interpretation adopts the view that road earthworks represent, in some circumstances, another exception to the expectation that all tangible assets have limited useful lives.  This view is based on the similarity between land and road earthworks when the service potential of the earthworks is expected to be retained due to the absence of any events that cause physical deterioration, such as excessive usage, flooding or land movement, and the earthworks are not expected to become obsolete in the foreseeable future.  Some roads and their earthworks may have limited useful lives because of their connection with an operation or activity that has a limited useful life.  For example, roads associated with a particular mine normally would become obsolete when the mine reached the end of its useful life.

AASB 116 requires disclosure in relation to each class of property, plant and equipment of the depreciation methods and the useful lives or depreciation rates used.  That is, a class of assets can include particular assets that have different lives – a single useful life need not be appropriate for all the assets in a class.  Consistent with this, it is necessary under this Interpretation for an entity to assess which of its road earthwork assets do not have limited useful lives and which do have limited useful lives.  Application of a single useful-life estimate across all of an entity’s road earthwork assets, or even across all depreciable road earthwork assets, is unlikely to result in a reliable depreciation estimate.

Road earthworks may not be subject to material physical deterioration.  For example, the resealing of roads or the reconstruction of the road pavement that may be required as a result of environmental factors such as the weather and road usage levels may be carried out on top of the existing earthworks.  Road improvements, such as increasing the traffic capacity or improving the alignment, can also make use of the existing earthworks.  Additional earthworks may be required, but these need not replace the existing earthworks.

However, if earthworks are replaced during the reconstruction of a road, the earthworks (or the appropriate portion) are derecognised and the cost of the replacement earthworks is recognised as an asset in its place.  This approach is consistent with the requirement in AASB 116 that an item of property, plant and equipment ceases to be recognised on its disposal.

Earthwork assets are subject to possible technical or commercial obsolescence, regardless of the physical use of the asset.  Technical obsolescence occurs as an asset becomes out-of-date due to technological advances, and commercial obsolescence occurs as the asset becomes redundant through a fall in demand for its services.  For example, earthworks may become obsolete when a road is realigned for safety or other operating reasons or is replaced by or closed by a new access road or bypass road.  In such cases, the particular earthworks affected are derecognised, consistent with the requirements in AASB 116 when no future economic benefits are expected from the use or disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment.

When the replacement or redundancy of particular earthworks is planned or expected under a future capital works program, the useful life of those earthworks is assessed on that basis.  In such a case, the earthworks would be expected to have a limited useful life, requiring either a reassessment of the rate of depreciation or the commencement of depreciation where the earthworks were previously treated as non-depreciable.

Road transport possibly could be replaced in the future by some other means of transport or else road earthworks might require significant reconstruction to remain useful.  This Interpretation is based on the view that this possibility should not be reflected in the best estimate of the useful life.  Under this approach, the useful lives of earthworks would need to be reassessed should such a technological change become probable.

AASB 116 requires changes in depreciation rates (e.g. due to a reassessment of the estimated useful life) and depreciation methods to be accounted for as a change in an accounting estimate in accordance with AASB 108 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors.  AASB 108 specifies that changes in accounting estimates are recognised prospectively by being recognised in the period of the change, if the change affects that period only, or in the period of the change and future periods, if the change affects both.  Under the prospective recognition of changes in accounting estimates, depreciation recognised in prior reporting periods is not changed by an adjustment recognised either in profit or loss or in retained earnings.  This approach applies to both the initial application of this Interpretation and to its subsequent application by an entity.