Ballarat City Council has voted to adopt a new 10-year Asset Plan to guide the long-term management of more than $2 billion in built and natural public assets.
It’s Council’s first Asset Plan, a requirement under section 92 of the Local Government Act 2020.
Council says the Asset Plan will serve as the cornerstone of its asset management agenda, providing an overview of the state of assets, including transport infrastructure, buildings and facilities, stormwater drainage and parks and gardens.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Daniel Moloney said the Plan directly informs the organisation’s 10-year financial plan by forecasting how much we will need to invest to ensure our assets remain in good condition.
“Along with providing full transparency in the management of our assets, the Asset Plan provides the benchmark to better asset management principles and processes,” he said.
Mayor Moloney said outcomes from extensive community engagement from the City of Ballarat’s Community Vision, Council Plan and Financial Plan were used to inform the Asset Plan.
“Future versions of the Asset Plan will be prepared following deliberative engagement with our community,” he said.
“This will allow our community to consider detailed asset planning information, discuss the impacts, trade-offs and comparative options for asset management, and influence a range of important principles that will guide our future asset and service decisions.”
The Asset Plan outlines the city’s current built and natural public assets which include:
- Transport infrastructure, including 1,093km sealed roads, 382km unsealed roads, 844km footpaths, 1,347km of kerb and channel, 241 bridges and major culverts and 54 car parks – valued at $1,206.2 million. Over the next 10 years, projections indicate we will spend around $413 million maintaining, improving and growing our road network.
- Stormwater drainage, including 698km of underground pipes, culverts and channels, 22,222 drainage pits and other drainage infrastructure – valued at $451.4 million. Projected expenditure over the next 10 years is expected to be $22 million to maintaining, improving and growing our stormwater drainage.
- Parks and recreation, including 136 play spaces, 34 sports reserves, 47 sports courts and also public furniture – valued at $97.4 million. Over the next 10 years, about $310 million will be allocated to maintaining, improving and growing our open space assets.
- Buildings, including 400 buildings and facilities such as libraries, leisure centres, community halls, civic centres, sports pavilions, heritage buildings – valued at $240.8 million. Over the next 10 years, projections indicate we will spend about $200 million maintaining, improving and growing community buildings.
