Sustainable Service Delivery Links Land Use Planning, Watershed Health and ‘Infrastructure Liability’
Note to Reader:
At the 2011 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, the spotlight was on the unfunded ‘infrastructure liability’ confronting all local governments. This is a driver for a change in the way local governments plan, finance, implement and over time replace infrastructure.
This article is about the presentation that was delivered by Glen Brown, Executive Director with the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. His responsibilities encompass local government infrastructure and finance. Glen Brown is also Deputy Inspector of Municipalities. At Seminar #1 in the 2011 Series, he provided a provincial government policy context for Sustainable Service Delivery.
Infrastructure Management: Challenges & Opportunities
“Local governments in British Columbia are faced with this financial challenge: the initial capital cost of infrastructure is about 20% of the life-cycle cost; the other 80% largely represents a future unfunded liability. Each year, the funding shortfall grows. As infrastructure ages and fails, local governments cannot keep up with renewal and/or replacement. Fiscal constraints provide a powerful impetus for doing business differently. Green infrastructure is part of a holistic approach to ‘achieve more with less’,” explained Glen Brown.
“The term Sustainable Service Delivery describes a life-cycle way of thinking about infrastructure needs and how to pay for those needs over time. The link between asset management and the protection of a community’s natural resources is emerging as an important piece in Sustainable Service Delivery.”
To Learn More:
To download a copy of the complete story posted in April 2011, click on Sustainable Service Delivery Links Land Use Planning, Watershed Health and ‘Infrastructure Liability’
Also, to download a copy of an article co-authored by Glen Brown and published in the Winter 2011 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter, click on Integrated Rainwater Management: Move to a Levels-of-Service Approach to Sustainable Service Delivery.