Strategic focus to close sustainability gap
Hosted by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), the inaugural International Local Government Asset Management Conference, staged in Melbourne on 12 and 13 May 2004, attracted delegates from across Australia and overseas. Describing asset management as integral to the Local Government sector, MAV President, Councillor Brad Matheson, said it underpins most of the functions carried out by Councils.
In his address, the Victorian Minister for Transport, Peter Batchelor, said the economic and social challenges associated with asset management are becoming more complex and problematic.
“Conferences such as this are vital for identifying the issues, looking for solutions and providing a forum for knowledge exchange,” the Minister said.
President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Councillor Mike Montgomery, told delegates that asset management is a critical issue for Local Government due to a growing sustainability gap. He said the gap between what the community and other spheres of government demand from councils and councils’ asset renewal requirements, compared to the funds that Local Government has to meet these demands, is growing at an alarming rate.
“Despite increasing responsibilities Local Government has for many years been under funded, under resourced and under valued,” Mike Montgomery said.
He said that capacity building in asset management must be a priority for Local Government and the challenge is to improve asset management right across the sector.
“We need better asset data and management if we are to deliver the facilities and services our communities need,” he said. “If we can combine this with better funding arrangements for Local Government we will be serving not only the present generation, but generations to come.” With the conference timed directly following the Federal budget, the decision by the Government to separate the budget and announcing further details on AusLink just three weeks before the conference was disappointing for organisers and delegates.
ALGA’s Roads Policy Officer, Robin Anderson, said that with the AusLink Green Paper calling for cooperative change across all spheres of government in relation to land transport, being released late in 2002, the long delay in producing the White Paper has been frustrating for all concerned. With its release on 7 June, ALGA’s National Local Roads Congress, to be held in the Barossa Valley from 11–13 July, will be the forum for Local Government to discuss the full details of AusLink.
“The extension of Roads to Recovery for four more years was welcomed by Local Government,” Robin Anderson said. “However, funding is now in two parts, $300 million per annum to paid directly to individual Councils, and a further $100 million each year for regional or cooperative projects to be available to councils on a competitive basis.”
He said to be successful in this second area of funding, each region needs to have a strong roads alliance in place and to be strategically focused. They will need to provide a good case to get the grants and clearly demonstrate the merits of their proposals.
ALGA is involved with other stakeholders to assist councils with capacity building projects that will develop new systems, and disseminate best practice examples.
