A new approach to asset management has seen the City of Ballarat win the prestigious AMQ International Award. Developed by Council’s Infrastructure Planning Engineer, Phil Holloway, as part of the City’s corporate planning process, the system aims to better manage infrastructure assets in an environment of tight economic constraints and increased external controls.
Competing against entries from across Australia and New Zealand, Phil’s paper outclassed competitors from both the private and public sectors to take out the Award. City of Ballarat Chief Executive Officer, Janet Dore, said it is great to see staff developing innovative approaches to problem solving and believes this is a good sign for the future.
“The great beauty of the paper is that it has extremely practical applications translating into the better use of rates, and improved maintenance and management of roads,” she said. “This approach to asset management, although primarily developed for roads, will be useful in budgeting and financial planning, and can be readily applied to the management of other Council assets.”
Phil Holloway said he believes Council won the Award because it took different approach to infrastructure spending.
“We questioned the traditional analysis, developing instead a holistic approach and taking a long term view,” he said. “It is basically an asset management paper that assesses the real cost of asset ownership in Ballarat, in particular roads and drains.”
The result has been increased funding for infrastructure in the current period to avoid costly failures in the future. An extra $1.3 million per annum is being spent to sustain existing assets.
“If we did not increase funding now there is a real possibility that by the year 2020 the backlog of failed roads and drains would cost approximately $70 million,” Phil Holloway said.
As part of his prize Phil will join other Asset Managers from around the world at Exeter University, England where they will spend a week networking and discussing issues of asset management.
For further information contact Phil Holloway, telephone (03) 5320 5611.
