Aurora is part of the Dunedin City Council’s DCHL group of companies and a recent council workshop featuring independent advisers was led by DCHL.
This included hearing from representatives of infrastructure advisory firm Mafic Partners and the Sapere Research Group.
DCHL chairman Tim Loan said the full cost of the exercise was not yet known, but budgeting for the two consultancies showed the combined cost of their work would come in under $150,000.
"We don’t have the final costs through at this stage," he said.
The workshop was arranged after DCHL had sought an opportunity to respond to various themes from public feedback about the council’s sale proposal.
Public sentiment had been resoundingly negative.
"Really good questions were raised through the public submissions process and we needed to provide additional information," Mr Loan said.
"I thought it went well."
The workshop was mostly held in public.
The council has yet to decide if it will sell the electricity distribution business.
Subjects explored during the workshop included debt levels, the regulatory environment for lines companies and the performance of diversified investment funds.
If Aurora is sold, the company’s debt would be cleared off the combined books of the council and its companies and a diversified fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars would be set up for the council.
An asking price has not been disclosed, but the expectations are it would be north of $1billion.
Mr Loan said consultancy costs should be viewed within the context of the possible total transaction.
"It’s important we research this thoroughly," he said.
"The city is facing an important decision and it’s one that needs to be understood properly.
"We need adequate information for councillors to be able to make that call."
