An innovative program ensuring all citizens have access to Council facilities has won Western Australia’s Shire of Swan, a national award for Asset Management Excellence in the category of Local Government. The Disability Access Management System is a computer program which identifies and prioritises remedial works needed to ensure improved levels of access to facilities for all users, including people with disabilities.
Community Development Officer, Tom Pavlos, points out that, with over 600 facilities and infrastructure to be assessed, it is crucial to have a program that achieves a maximum cost benefit.
“This is an important community development exercise,” he said. “The Shire is working on how to make the community a better place for all. This particular tool assists that strategy to be achieved in an objective way.”
The spreadsheet program merges with the Shire’s Asset and Database, to prioritise remedial work on the basis of the building or facility’s importance to disabled users, the frequency of use and the impact of its physical characteristics, such as an absence of ramps.
The system was developed by Linton Pike from management consultants, Estill and Associates Pty Ltd, together with Community Development Officer, Tom Pavlos and Council’s Disability Access and Advisory Committee. This Committee, established in 1995 to improve access for people with disabilities, includes Councillors, Council staff and a number of people with disabilities.
Objectives of the Committee are to ascertain the degree of accessibility to all Shire buildings and facilities for people with disabilities, as well as recommend upgrades for any facilities not meeting needs. The Award was made as part of the Australia/New Zealand Asset Management competition developed by AMQ International. The Local Government category in the awards is sponsored by the Australian Valuations Office.
As winners of the Local Government award, Swan is now competing with other category winners for the National Asset Management Award for Excellence to be judged in Melbourne on 21 February.
For further information contact Tom Pavlos, telephone (08) 9267 9135.
