City of Ballarat’s first Asset Plan adopted

Ballarat City Council has voted to adopt a new 10-year Asset Plan that provides clear direction about the long-term management of more than $2 billion in built and natural public assets. 

This is the City of Ballarat’s first Asset Plan, a requirement under section 92 of the Local Government Act 2020. 

The Asset Plan will serve as the cornerstone of the City of Ballarat’s asset management agenda, providing an overview of the state of assets, including transport infrastructure, buildings and facilities, stormwater drainage and parks and gardens. 

It outlines how the City of Ballarat will plan, invest in and deliver assets to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and deliver the level of services that our community needs, expects and can afford. The plan will continue to be reviewed and improved. 

The Asset Plan aligns with key strategic documents in the City of Ballarat’s Integrated Strategic Planning Framework.  

The Asset Plan outlines the City of Ballarat’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. 

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said the Asset 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. 

Cr 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 notes future drivers that have the potential to impact the decisions we make about City of Ballarat assets and how they are maintained include the region’s growing population, climate change, affordability and community expectations on levels of service. 

Heritage and cultural assets, such as art and library collections and significant places and objects or specialised large assets, such as landfills, are not included in the Asset Plan. These asset types will be addressed under their own management plans.