ASSETS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Assets in our municipality include the following traditional local government items;

• Roads including footpaths, kerb and channel, bridges, carparks, street

lighting
• Recreation facilities
• Drainage infrastructure
• Parks including trees
• Buildings
• Plant
• Markets and saleyards
• Office furniture and equipment
• Caravan parks
• Parking meters

Assets which are envolving in importance, some of which are also unique to our
municipality are a part of this strategy and include:

• Information technology assets

• Art works
• Image and marketing items such as the community art (moving cows),
flagpoles and entrance signs
• The city of greater shepparton has invested $743 million (in current
replacement costs terms) in these assets over many years in order to service
the needs and enhance the quality of life of the communities within the
municipality

The importance of these assets to these communities and their significance for
council’s budgets means that asset management must be a critical part of council’s
planning and service delivery. This strategy recognizes the need to manage assets
effectively as part of service delivery, meaning that those delivering the service
should generally be responsible for managing the assets that are associated with
that service. As a result of this philosophy assets will be managed utilizing an
activity hierarchy rather than a functional herarchy.

Failure to adequately plan for the replacement of exixting assets and the
development of new assets will result in levels of service not being met by council.

The need for this strategy was identified as part of the review of asset management
practices carried out as part of the MAV Asset Management Improvement Program
(STEP).

The objective of this strategy is to describe how council will meet its commitment to
asset management as documented in its council plan and its assets management
policy.
This strategy and the individual activity management plans that are developed as a
result of this strategy will provide council with detailed comprehensive information
and knowledge to assist it with its short and long term planning to achieve its vision
for the municipality.

The strategy covers the following aspects of asset management:

• Vision and policy for asset management

• Links to other strategic plans
• Legislative framework
• Existing framework for asset management
• Demand for new assets
• Gap analysis between existing and desired management and financial
practices and resources
• Recommendations for improvements in our assets management practices
and systems