3.5 DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC TRANSPORT NETWORK RESPONSIBLE OFFICER: EXECUTIVE MANAGER OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT: OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE REFERENCE: 18094948 OFFICER DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Under Section 80C of the Local Government Act 1989 officers providing advice to Council must disclose any interests, including the type of interest. No person involved in the preparation of this report has a direct or indirect interest requiring disclosure. PURPOSE This report sets out the basis for testing the viability of, and thereafter developing a strategic transport network through a staged engagement process with stakeholders and the community. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council currently has an asset renewal gap which is largely centred on the renewal of the road network. Current maintenance and renewal standards are based on an access hierarchy. This hierarchy does not necessarily reflect the importance of specific roads for transport associated with agricultural production. One method of improving the service standards of key transport routes is to focus resources to these roads. Taking a strategic approach based on a transport hierarchy can allow savings to be realised through matching service standards more closely with the level of utilisation. It is proposed to commence an engagement process that develops and evaluates this concept. MOVED CR ARMSTRONG SECONDED CR BEALES That Council endorses the commencement of a community and stakeholder engagement process that develops and evaluates the benefits of a strategic transport network. CARRIED 3836/18 BACKGROUND Council has a renewal gap that is largely centred on the sealed and unsealed road network. This gap is conservatively estimated to be about $3 million per year. Rural Councils have large asset bases and relatively small rating and other income bases to maintain and renew these assets. In the context of constraint in relation to increasing rates and with limited and uncertain grant funding streams it is incumbent on Council to find ways of managing the impact of the renewal gap. DISCUSSION It is proposed to undertake a community engagement process in accordance with the stages listed below, to develop a road hierarchy based on strategic transport needs and to enable the definition of service standards that optimise road maintenance and renewal outcome within Council’s capacity to pay. This strategy largely applies to rural roads. The proposed stages are: Form a working group with representatives from all rural regions within the municipality to meet a sufficient number of times to prepare a draft map of the strategic network and to define the service standards applicable to a strategic transport hierarchy. Undertake agency stakeholder engagement to obtain advice and input from agencies such as the CFA and other emergency services.
3.5 DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC TRANSPORT NETWORK RESPONSIBLE OFFICER: EXECUTIVE MANAGER OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT: OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE REFERENCE: 18094948 OFFICER DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Under Section 80C of the Local Government Act 1989 officers providing advice to Council must disclose any interests, including the type of interest. No person involved in the preparation of this report has a direct or indirect interest requiring disclosure. PURPOSE This report sets out the basis for testing the viability of, and thereafter developing a strategic transport network through a staged engagement process with stakeholders and the community. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council currently has an asset renewal gap which is largely centred on the renewal of the road network. Current maintenance and renewal standards are based on an access hierarchy. This hierarchy does not necessarily reflect the importance of specific roads for transport associated with agricultural production. One method of improving the service standards of key transport routes is to focus resources to these roads. Taking a strategic approach based on a transport hierarchy can allow savings to be realised through matching service standards more closely with the level of utilisation. It is proposed to commence an engagement process that develops and evaluates this concept. MOVED CR ARMSTRONG SECONDED CR BEALES That Council endorses the commencement of a community and stakeholder engagement process that develops and evaluates the benefits of a strategic transport network. CARRIED 3836/18 BACKGROUND Council has a renewal gap that is largely centred on the sealed and unsealed road network. This gap is conservatively estimated to be about $3 million per year. Rural Councils have large asset bases and relatively small rating and other income bases to maintain and renew these assets. In the context of constraint in relation to increasing rates and with limited and uncertain grant funding streams it is incumbent on Council to find ways of managing the impact of the renewal gap. DISCUSSION It is proposed to undertake a community engagement process in accordance with the stages listed below, to develop a road hierarchy based on strategic transport needs and to enable the definition of service standards that optimise road maintenance and renewal outcome within Council’s capacity to pay. This strategy largely applies to rural roads. The proposed stages are: Form a working group with representatives from all rural regions within the municipality to meet a sufficient number of times to prepare a draft map of the strategic network and to define the service standards applicable to a strategic transport hierarchy. Undertake agency stakeholder engagement to obtain advice and input from agencies such as the CFA and other emergency services.
CM180515.docx