Asset Management Plan – Open Spaces
Open Spaces This Supporting Section should be read in conjunction with Council’s Asset Management Plan, the Asset Management Policy (which sets out Council's philosophy of asset management) and Council’s Asset Management Strategy (which provides Council with a clear direction and goal for managing the community's $1.185 billion (as at June 2010) worth of assets).
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Current Asset Base
Size of the Network As defined in Council’s Recreation and Open Space Strategy, open space is the land which is public space it is inclusive of all areas owned/managed by Council, such as parks, playgrounds, sports grounds, reserves, gardens, rivers, lakes, bushland and other areas including urban open space (malls/public squares). The current standard for the Wagga Wagga City Council for open space provision is 4 hectares per 1,000 persons. The previous standard (prior to 1993) was 2.28Ha/1,000, which is reflected today in the relative low provision for open space in established suburbs of Mount Austin and Turvey Park. Currently, there is an estimated 1,508Ha of zoned public open space available within the Wagga Wagga urban area, and nine selected villages. This equates to the average provision of open space per 1,000 people in the Wagga Wagga urban area is 26.68Ha, and for people in the nine selected villages rises to 102.94Ha/1,000 people.
Challenges of the Network The challenges facing the open space network include:
The constant pressure to provide green space to the community using limited water resources is a challenge which is exacerbated in times of prolonged low rain fall. Some open spaces are stormwater detention basins, this at times becomes an issue for the community when these facilities are closed due to stormwater. The maintenance of grass and vegetation in open spaces can be a challenge for council, this becomes more of a challenge in times of extreme weather where grass can grow quickly in times of high rainfall and vegetation can be damaged by storms. Conversely it is a challenge to ensure the grass and gardens survive hot summers.
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Open Spaces Map The following map details the open space network in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA).
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Condition Assessment
Condition Rating Reference Sheet The open space network is a unique asset class as the value of the asset generally increases over time rather than depreciates. The condition of the open space is constant, while there may be issues that decrease the aesthetics of the open space temporarily (for example, a lack of vegetation) this doesn’t impact on the technical condition of the asset rather the level of service expected by the community. Therefore a condition rating reference sheet for open spaces is not required in this Asset Management Plan.
Intervention Levels To guide Council’s response to customer requests a set of reactive triggers has been developed for each asset category. These triggers are called intervention levels and include expected response times. The following table details the intervention levels and response times for maintenance of the open spaces network. Open Space Intervention Levels Rubbish/illegal dumping
Inspection within 5 working days. Corrective action taken within 4 weeks
Fallen Trees
In an emergency situation fallen trees are to be removed within 24 hours. Otherwise, removal within 20 working days
Erosion - minor
Monitor only
Erosion – moderate to major
Corrective action taken within one week
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Open Spaces Condition Inspection Regime As the condition of open spaces is constant, Council’s Asset Integrity Team does not conduct condition assessments for open spaces. As the service level of open spaces can vary, the follow table details the inspection routine conducted by Council staff from Parks and Recreation Section to ensure open spaces across the Wagga Wagga LGA are fit for purpose: Sporting grounds
Inspected weekly during the playing season
High Profile Parks
Inspected 3 times per week
Neighbourhood Parks
Inspected 9 times per year
Sound mounds
Inspected 3 times per year
Natural areas
Ad hoc inspections as well visual inspections around fire breaks 4 times per year
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Life Cycle Management
Life cycle management details how Council plans to manage and operate the asset category at the agreed level of service while minimising life cycle costs throughout the useful life of the asset. For most local government assets there are four key phases to the life cycle, namely: acquisition, operation and maintenance, renewal, and disposal.
Costs occur in each phase of the asset life cycle. It is important to attribute these life cycle costs to each phase to allow for effective decision making about how the asset will be managed. The lifecycle costs of assets include:
initial capital investment operation and maintenance refurbishment and renewal administration, overheads and taxes depreciation capital use rate charges or rate of return and disposal of the asset at the end of its useful life
The initial capital or investment cost of a new asset is a significant cost and often dominates the decision as to whether to acquire the asset or expand the infrastructure network. However, it is important to include all the costs associated with each phase of the asset life cycle, including ongoing operation and maintenance, future renewal and disposal.
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Open Spaces Target Maintenance Events The following table details the target maintenance events associated with the open spaces network. High Profile Parks Target Maintenance Events Event
Target Maintenance Events per Year
Gardening
26 times per year
Planting annuals
3 times per year
Mowing
45 times per year
Fertilising and spraying
4 times per year
Neighbourhood Parks Target Maintenance Events Event
Target Maintenance Events per Year
Gardening
19 times per year
Mowing
19 times per year
Fertilising and spraying
4 times per year
Sporting Grounds Target Maintenance Events Event
Target Maintenance Events per Year
Mowing
19 times per year
Fertilising and spraying
4 times per year
Renewal The condition of the open space network is not rated as it is constant from a technical point of view. However, from the community’s perspective the level of service of an open space can vary. Ovals and garden beds are renovated and natural areas are enhanced with revegetation programs to ensure a satisfactory level of service. A detailed work plan for this is developed annually to support this Asset Management Plan. The renovation and enhancement is prioritised based on condition and risk.
Disposal If Council decides to dispose of an open space asset it will result in the sale of the land. This will result in income for Council.
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Level of Service
The Asset Management Plan for 2011 has been developed based on data collation, research outcomes and the results of Council’s internal stakeholder engagement process. The next stage of the process is to ask the community to identify which asset condition is satisfactory to them. This will begin with an extensive community consultation process. The consultation will be in the form of a community survey which will be conducted online, at community gatherings, through focus groups and stakeholder meetings. The survey will use new technology, be based on images and a simple selection process. The outcomes of the consultation will form the foundation for true community engagement to occur in relation to the management of infrastructure across the Wagga Wagga LGA, in particular the development of agreed levels of service, supported by Council and the community. As Council gathers data from the community about the level of service for each asset category the outcomes will be integrated into the Asset Management Plan. Until the outcomes of the community engagement are known Council will provide costings to achieve an average condition for each asset category and use this as the satisfactory level of service.
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Financial Considerations
Current Liability Council’s current liability in relation to the infrastructure network is the sum of all asset units which have a condition rating of poor and very poor. The current liability of the open space network is nil.
Projected Annual Maintenance Costs For Council to achieve the target maintenance events as detailed in Section 3 of this Asset Management Plan, the projected annual maintenance budget for the open space network is estimated to be $9,892,424 (in 2010 dollars). This estimate was developed by Council’s Asset Management Planning and Parks and Recreation Teams in 2010. It is a first principle estimate and is expected to vary as Council improves its asset management practices and strategies. The following table provides further details of the maintenance costs associated with maintaining the open space network each year. Open Space Network Projected Annual Maintenance Costs Event Target Maintenance Events per Year Gardening $1,781,936 Mowing $2,470,000 Fertilising and spraying $5,640,488
Required Increase Annual Maintenance Cost per Additional Unit As the asset base increases it is important to ensure that the annual maintenance budget also increases. As the maintenance costs of the open space network have not been included in this Asset Management Plan, the required increase to the annual maintenance budget for additional assets is not included. This information will be developed and included in future revisions of this Plan.
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Assumptions
There are some generic assumptions made in the management of assets in Wagga Wagga City Council, these are found in the Asset Management Plan. In addition, the following assumptions have been made in relation to the open space network:
The estimated mowing cost included in Section 5 of this Asset Management Plan is based on the current contract rate for a LGA wide mow. The estimated spraying cost included in Section 5 of this Asset Management Plan has been calculated using the total area for parks in the Wagga Wagga LGA. As Council continues to improve its asset management practices, the accuracy of this estimate will be refined and will be included in future revisions of this Asset Management Plan. The estimated gardening cost included in Section 5 of this Asset Management Plan has been calculated using the estimated area of gardens in the high profile parks only. It does not include the gardens in neighbourhood parks. The additional increase to the maintenance budget for additional assets is not included in this Asset Management Plan. As Council continues to improve the open space data this will be included in future revisions of this Asset Management Plan. The current liability in Section 5 of this Asset Management Plan relates to the technical condition of the open space network. It does not include any rehabilitation or enhancement to open spaces to ensure a satisfactory level of service.
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