Conference Papers 2010

Strategic Investment in Infrastructure: Are We Providing Value for Money? Jeff Roorda, Ross Waugh

The recent global financial crisis had seen a renewed interest by governments to invest in infrastructure with the objective of providing both economic stimulus and increased economic efficiency. In undertaking the provision of infrastructure governments convert community wealth into physical infrastructure, but how effective are these community assets planned, constructed and managed?

The International Infrastructure Management Manual identifies minimum core standards for asset custodians responsible for all stages of infrastructure planning, construction, and operations.

This presentation will examine examples in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand of reviews on the asset management performance of infrastructure custodians and provide contrasting case studies of where infrastructure custodians have been found wanting, but also where some have developed their capacity to plan, manage, operate and report on the performance of infrastructure assets.

The presentation also highlights some of the difficult questions that face asset managers in the current political and economic environment.

Asset Management Presentation, Ross Waugh

A wide-ranging overview of Asset Management practice from a New Zealand perspective for a series of private meetings with Asset Managers in Albuquerque, New Mexico in October 2010. Includes some September Christchurch Earthquake slides.

Ingenium Conference, Christchurch, June 2010

Resisting the pressure for quick fixes to create long term infrastructure value, Ross Waugh

A case study in innovative thinking, management, and design leading to high quality, sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure solutions.

The long-term goal of effective asset management is achieving the most sustainable and economic delivery of service to the community possible. The acquisition of major civil infrastructure to deliver services is a large community investment, and given the long asset lifecycles and high purchase costs, requires careful and considered planning, design, and construction.

When problems present with major infrastructure, particularly involving environmental considerations, immense public, and regulator pressure can be brought to bear to produce quick fixes that solve the perceived problem.

Within the last decade three Council’s – North Shore City, Hastings District, and Timaru District have found themselves in this situation relating to wastewater systems. In each case, considerable pressure for quick fixes was directed at the Council.

In all three cases the Councils resisted the pressure to deliver an immediate short-term result and took a longer term, more strategic asset management informed view of their problem which in turn created an opportunity for innovative management, design and engineering solutions.

This Case Study of the three Councils actions examines the external pressure for quick fixes, the asset management analysis involved, and subsequent innovations that in each case delivered long-term value and high-quality service delivery outcomes.

Asset Management for Public Entities – Learning from Local Government Examples, 2010

Best practice examples. Work completed for clients by Waugh Infrastructure referenced in this report.