Lake Macquarie Council believes a “whole-of-life” approach is key to managing infrastructure assets and the approach is yielding dividends.
By combining asset knowledge and data with strategic planning processes and an appropriate asset information system, the Council has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of all its assets, allowing them to move forward with their infrastructure backlog.
The system gives Council a clear idea of the state of its assets and their forecasted state throughout their lifetime – a whole-of-life approach.
Manager Asset Management, Glen Walker, said that being specific in categorising assets also has an added advantage for Council. Its asset management plans and registers are tailored around five key classes of infrastructure: roads, stormwater, parks and reserves, buildings, and traffic and transportation.
Additional work is underway to develop an asset management plan for natural areas to increase the awareness of local habitats within its boundaries.
The strong focus that Council has placed on infrastructure asset management over several years has not only improved its procedures dramatically but also earned them recognition in 2013, when the City of Lake Macquarie scored top marks in a Local Government Infrastructure Audit by the NSW Government.
Key objectives of the June 2013 audit were to provide information on the infrastructure backlog in NSW, assess the reliability of the information provided by councils, and to identify trends in infrastructure needs by area, asset type and level of risk.
The audit results transcend state borders and are relevant for all Australian councils. By adopting a long-term asset management approach, local councils can identify the levels of service they provide, meet demands on assets, and take action with planned improvements.
