Table of Contents
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1. Introduction and Overview
Introduction - BRC's Asset Management Plans are based on the minimum requirements for Asset Management Plans in Queensland as detailed in the Asset Management Advancement Program.
1.1 Scope
Scope - The following Infrastructure classes and sub-classes are covered by this plan:
- Drainage Basins
- Open Channels
- Stormwater Drains
- Stormwater Pits
- SQIDs & GPTs
- Aquifer Recharge Systems
- Flood mitigation assets
1.2 Drainage Hierarchy
Drainage Hierarchy - In the case of drainage assets BRC has adopted a fairly flat hierarchy with Stormwater Drains being classified as either Trunk or Non-Trunk and the other sub-classes considered to be of equal importance.
1.3 Quantitative Data
1.3.1 Drainage Inventory Summary
Drainage Inventory Summary - Council is responsible for the following drainage assets.
- 13 Drainage Basins
- 80.3 km of Open Channel
- 350.8 km of Stormwater Drains
- 10403 Stormwater Pits & Headwalls
- 6 SQIDs & GPTs
- 1 Aquifer Recharge System
1.4 Links to Other Documents
The following documents have been referred to in developing this plan.
General Documents
- Bundaberg Regional Council Long Term Asset Management Plan (LTAMP)
- Bundaberg Regional Council Asset Management Policy
NOTE: The BRC Asset Management Policy is a Draft version and will be set up to be adopted by Management /Council and incorporated into the LTAMP
Drainage Specific Documents
- None
1.5 Legislative and Regulatory Requirements
Legislative and Regulatory Requirements - The principal relevant statutes regulating the asset management practices of Councils are:
- Queensland Local Government Act 2009
- Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
- Queensland Industrial Relations Act 1999
- Queensland Environmental Protection Act 1994
The Department of Infrastructure and Planning requirements for asset management plans include:
- description of the maintenance program
- timing of program
- maintenance expense per asset class and sub-class
2. Service Levels
A Customer Satisfaction Survey is conducted annually to gauge community expectations. The results of these surveys are taken into account when setting service levels.
2.1 Strategic/Community Service Levels
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2.2 Technical/Maintenance Service Levels
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3. Future Demand
3.1 Future requirements associated with corporate plans or operational plans
Future Requirements for Drainage - No future requirements associated with the corporate plan or the operational plan have been identified.
3.2 Known or possible areas for expansion
Expansion - There are several factors that may affect the demand for and on Council assets.
3.2.1 New Subdivisions
New Subdivisions - Council is gifted infrastructure on a regular basis, with a significant number of new subdivisions coming off maintenance each year.
3.2.2 Population Growth
Population Growth - According to the OESR Queensland Regional Database & Google Public Data Explorer Bundaberg Regional Council's estimated population has increased from 78,943 in 2001 to 95,132 in 2009.
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3.2.3 Changes in Land Use
Changes in Land Use - Bundaberg Regional Council has yet to finalise a consolidated Planning Scheme for the amalgamated Council. If any changes in land use affecting future demand are included in the new scheme they will be identified here.
3.2.4 Changes to Government Policy & Regulations
Government Policy & Regulations (Drainage) - No changes to government policy or regulations have been identified in this plan.
3.3 Asset classes and potential acquisition dates
New Asset Classes - It is not anticipated that any new asset classes will be acquired within the time frame of this plan.
3.4 Cost estimates
The costs of changes in the future demand on drainage have yet to be calculated.
3.5 Impact of future demand on service levels, asset lifecycle and financial considerations
The impact of future demand on service levels, asset lifecycle and financial considerations has yet to be ascertained.
3.6 Technological Change Forecast
Technological Change Forecast - The past few centuries have seen enormous technological advances, and in computing, nanotechnology & biological science the current rate of advancement is exponential. (e.g. Moore's Law.) If this trend continues the impact on Local Government is potentially enormous, and obsolescence could become the main factor in determining the useful lives of many asset classes.
There are a number of key areas in which this rapid technological advancement could affect the way assets are constructed and maintained.
3.6.1 Energy
Energy - The availability or lack of availability of relatively cheap energy will have a huge impact on the cost of and need for infrastructure assets into the future.
Oil reserves are a finite resource, and transport systems will almost certainly become more and more dependent on synthetic fuels, bio-fuels and/or electrical power in the medium to long term.
If the cost of transport increases the cost of constructing infrastructure assets is likely to increase commensurately.
On the other hand, there are a couple of possible reasons that energy might actually become cheaper in the medium term which would drive construction costs down.
The amount of solar power being generated is increasing exponentially, and there are number of reasons to suspect the efficiency of solar power generation will improve markedly in the short to medium term.
Commercial fusion power is not expected to be available until at least 2040, but its impact if and when it does become a reality could be enormous, given that there is enough heavy hydrogen in the oceans to satisfy mankind's energy needs for millions of years.
3.6.2 New Materials & Construction Techniques
New Materials & Construction Techniques - It is possible that Automated Construction Techniques like D-Shape & Contour Crafting will have a significant impact on the construction of civil assets in the not-to-distant future. Given the long lives of some civil assets it is feasible that by the time they are due to be replaced automated construction techniques will enable them to be replaced for considerably less than their current replacement cost.
High tech materials like carbon nanotubes could result in decreased construction costs.
3.6.3 Increased Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing
Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing - Increased collaboration & knowledge sharing via the internet has the potential to reduce overhead costs significantly by reducing the amount of duplication of effort between Councils.
3.6.4 Artificial Intelligence & Expert Systems
Artificial Intelligence & Expert Systems - Some observers believe that human level general artificial intelligence could be a reality as soon as 2030.
4. Lifecycle Management and Financial Considerations
4.1 Useful Life
Drainage Asset Useful Lives - The useful life of most stormwater drainage assets will depend on a range of environmental factors. The estimated useful lives given below which have been extracted from the Assetic Asset Management System are best guess averages.
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4.2 Valuation
4.2.1 Drainage System Valuation
Drainage Valuation - The figures below were extracted from the Assetic Asset Management System on 30 September 2009.
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The 2010 Drainage Network Valuation figures below were extracted from the June 2010 Financial Reconciliation Report.
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4.2.2 Unit Rates
Drainage Unit Rates - The unit rates below were used in the 1 July 2009 Revaluation.
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The unit rates are based on the cost of a small number of BRC drainage projects, the standard rates used by ACEAM to value the drainage network post amalgamation, and unit rates developed by Fraser Coast Regional Council. To try and smooth out inconsistencies that may have resulted from the infrequent use of the larger Box Culvert sizes, first cut unit rates were plotted against culvert area, and a best fit curve plotted.
The equation adopted was: Unit Rate = 0.000835 x Area² + 0.385 x Area + 350
In the graph below the blue dots represent individual unit rate data points, and the green line is the above equation.
A similar technique was used to smooth out variations in the unit costs of stormwater pipes. This yielded the equation.
Unit Rate = 0.000645*Diameter² -0.062*Diameter +186
4.3 Maintenace
4.3.1 Maintenance Activities
Drainage Maintenance Activities - Council performs a number of maintenance activities in relation to drainage assets, including:
- Condition Inspections - Open drains are inspected on a regular basis.
There are eight drainage maintenance activities in BARS.
- Maintain & repairs to culverts, pipes
- Drainage Miscellaneous
- Open Drains Concrete Repairs
- Culvert Repairs
- Catchpit Repairs
- Manhole Repairs
- Access Repairs
- Aquifer Maintenance
- Clean culverts pipe pits (mjr)
- Drain Cleaning (Open Drains) - Bobcat, wheel barrow - cleaning schedule exists
- Clean Culverts, Pipes & Pits - Major - known high risk sites checked prior to storm season. (List exists) - pits? - GPTs done on an irregular basis
- Drain Repairs - from inspections shotcrete or stone pitching or concrete repairs
4.3.2 Maintenance Expenditure
Drainage Maintenance Expenditure - Maintenance Expenditure is detailed in the table below.
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4.4 Asset Renewal & Replacement
Drainage Renewal & Replacement - The table below shows the overall amounts set aside for capital works on drainage assets in Council's Ten Year Capital Expenditure Forecast, and the estimated proportion of those amounts that will be spent on renewal works. The exact split between new and renewal is unknown, but historically at least 90% of capital expenditure on drainage has been for new works.
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More work needs to be done matching these figures to specific projects, but a number of first cut renewal programs are under development. (You must be logged on to BRC Intranet to view the links below)
4.5 Asset Creation & Acquisition
New Drainage Works - The table below shows the overall amounts set aside for capital works on drainage assets in Council's Ten Year Capital Expenditure Forecast, and the estimated proportion of those amounts that will be spent on new works. The exact split between new and renewal is unknown, but historically at least 90% of capital expenditure on drainage has been for new works.
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4.6 Asset Disposal
Bundaberg Regional Council has no plans to dispose of any of the assets identified in this plan in the next ten years.
4.7 Risk Management
Risk Management - Council recognises 4 levels of risk, low, medium, high and extreme. These risk associated with a given hazard is calculated in accordance with Council's Risk Management Policy using the following risk matrix.
All identified risks are recorded in Council's Risk Management System. The system contains a hazard register and a rectification action plan.
Council typically adopts one or more of the following risk handling options when risks are identified.
- accepting risk;
- reducing likelihood of event;
- reducing the consequences of event;
- transferring the risk;
- sharing the risk;
Risks
Hosting the plan online and backing it up locally should ensure that the plan content is safe even in the case of a server failure.
Internet outages can restrict access to the live version of the plan from time to time, but the data itself should be very safe.
Backups of the plan are made regularly and stored in the directory: S:\Support Services\Assets\Asset Management Plans.
5. Asset Management Practices
5.1 Asset Management Systems
Asset Management Systems - Bundaberg Regional Council uses a the following software systems & databases to manage various asset management related tasks.
5.2 Standards & Guidelines
Standards & Guidelines - BRC has referred to a wide range of standards and guidelines in developing its asset management practices, including those listed below;
- AAS 5 - Materiality
- AAS 27 - Financial Reports by Local Governments
- AASB 116 - Property, Plant & Equipment
- AASB 1015 - Acquisitions of Assets
- AASB 1021 - Depreciation
- AASB 1041 - Revaluation of Non-Current Assets
- Asset Management Advancement Program
- International Infrastructure Management Manual
- Queensland Local Government Act 2009
Drainage Standards & Guidelines - BRC has referred to the following drainage related standards & guidelines in developing its asset management practices.
6. Improvement and Monitoring
6.1 Known data quality issues
Drainage Data Quality Issues - The following drainage data quality issues have been identified.
- A number of pipe diameters appear to have been altered when the databases of the four former Councils were amalgamated. (This problem has been substantially rectified.)
6.2 Drainage Data Quality Improvement Plan
Drainage Data Quality Improvement Plan - It is planned to improve the quality of the drainage data in the asset management system, by carrying out the following actions:
- All pipe diameters are being checked against the databases they were extracted from and will be corrected, and a revaluation applied to drainage table prior to new drainage assets being inserted into the database in the 2009-1010 financial year. (Done)
- The Drainage Section (Ian Stitt) maintains hard copy plans of modifications to the drainage system carried out by Council. Incorporation if this information into the asset management system proper should further improve the accuracy of the data.
- Publishing as much existing data about drainage infrastructure both here and on the internal BRC Wiki, and encouraging the readers and users of the AMP/wiki to advise the Assets Section of any errors or inconsistencies.
6.3 Estimate of Reliability
Estimate of Reliability - The majority of the figures used in BRC's Asset Management Plans are generated from Council's Assetic Asset Management System. The Assetic database was compiled from numerous databases and spreadsheets used by the former Councils of Bundaberg, Burnett, Isis & Kolan. The quality of the data available varied from Council to Council and asset class to asset class, and in some cases has been further degraded as a result of the aggregation process.
Council is in the early stages of developing and implementing long term management systems and as such expects the Long Term Asset Management Plan, incorporating this Asset Management Plan and associated expenditure programs, to change significantly over the next five years as these systems mature and better information becomes available.
It should be noted that Council has made significant advances in the reliability of the base data (quantity, location, condition and value) since amalgamation.
7. References
General References - The following references have been used in preparing this and other Asset Management Plans