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On May 22, 2014, it was announced that the Administrative Agreement on the Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia (the GTA) had been signed between Canada, British Columbia and UBCM. “Leading into our negotiations with Canada and BC, we reached out to the membership to gather feedback on the first nine years of the program. What we heard is that there was a desire to see the program streamlined, and more room provided for local decision making,” said UBCM President Rhona Martin.

“The asset management process is a continuum; and nature is an integral part of a community’s infrastructure system. The process starts with the engineered assets that local governments provide. Communities will progress along the continuum incrementally as their understanding grows. By also accounting for and integrating the services that nature provides, over time they can achieve the goal of Sustainable Service Delivery for watershed systems,” states Wally Wells.

A watershed is an integrated system, is infrastructure, and must be viewed as an asset that provides municipal services. “Where a local government regulates land use, a watershed is an integral part of the drainage infrastructure assets of the local government. More specifically, the three pathways (surface, shallow lateral flow, groundwater) by which rainfall reaches streams are infrastructure assets. They provide ‘water balance services’,” stated Kim Stephens.

“Provision of Sustainable Service Delivery is the ‘New Paradigm’. It is our singular aim. Sound Asset Management practices prevent in-service failure of assets which consequently cause service delivery interruptions. Therefore, Asset Management is the means to achieve the aim. Shifting to this ‘New Paradigm’ gives us an opportunity to align the existing nature of our services with the needs of future users,” wrote David Allen.

“Natural capital assets, such as green space, aquifers, foreshore area and creeks, can be as effective as engineered (or grey) infrastructure in water management. When considering the civil function that many of our natural assets perform, in many instances at a fraction of the cost of engineered assets, it makes good sense to recognize and manage them in a manner that reflects their true worth,” concluded Dave Newman.

“Leading asset managers in Canada, will have a greater role to play as cities design and re-build their infrastructure. From public transit to social housing, from how we use our streets and sidewalks, it is not just a numbers game on a spreadsheet. This is why it is urgent for them to understand the importance and the changing role of urban design, and the public realm, and how people use it,” stated Gord Hume.

“The initiative is designed to help local government champions integrate natural systems thinking and adaptation to a changing climate into asset management. A desired outcome is healthy streams and watersheds. So, implement ‘Design With Nature’ standards of practice for development and infrastructure servicing. Protect and restore stream corridors and fish habitat,” stated Peter Law.

“The focus on desired outcomes allows local governments to develop and implement an approach that can be both incremental and measured, tailored to the individual needs and capacity of each local government,” states Wally Wells. “The BC Framework recognizes that asset management, and the best practices that support asset management, is scalable to community size and capacity. The BC Framework also recognizes there are many components within the asset management process.”

“The web-based Drainage Infrastructure Screening Tool is designed to help local governments implement a watershed-based approach, one that results in affordable and effective Asset Management. In an era of fiscal constraints and increased emphasis on accountability, the tool allows local governments to demonstrate prudent use of scarce financial resources to achieve more at less cost,” reports Kim Stephens.

“The change is here, and it is accelerating. Local governments have an opportunity to adapt and mitigate these changes and improve resiliency of communities within existing legislative authority and current best practices,” states Kim Fowler.