|
Issue: Infrastructure and services in Tumut Shire
| Assessment |
Implications |
Objectives to be achieved |
Background | See also: | Water use and allocation | Waste | AssessmentThere has been substantial investment in the Shire's essential and community infrastructure in the last three years, indicative of the anticipated benefits of the Visy pulp mill, which is currently under construction in the Shire. Road condition in Tumut Shire had been assessed and during the reporting period, Council has invested substantially to improve that condition. For water infrastructure, although no actual condition data had been produced, a preliminary assessment was made. Again, Council has invested substantially during the reporting period. Information on public housing was unavailable for this Report. Since the end of the reporting period, there has been an announcement that Commonwealth funding has been approved for roads and communications in the Region. Provision of local infrastructure and services, and the ability of Council to maintain or to improve them, are affected by a number of factors. These can include the area of the Shire (375 200 hectares) and its topography, the distribution, size and growth trends of the population (or its rateable base) and the economy of the Shire. The physical factors of Tumut Shire are discussed in the introductory comments for Land, Water and Biodiversity. The social influences both on and within the Shire are discussed in the introductory comments for Human Settlement and also under the issue Community wellbeing. In particular, the provision of infrastructure in Tumut Shire is influenced by its economic activities such as the timber industry and grazing/horticulture. There are four main townships. Along with Queanbeyan, Tumut has twice the proportion of Aboriginal Australians living in the Shire, than the average proportion across the Region. Transport within and from the Shire is dependent on the motor vehicle and availability of roads. The estimated average annual kilometres travelled per vehicle in the Shire is around 10 196 kilometres, one of the few Shires in the Region with less than the Australian average of 14 400. The total estimated kilometres travelled in the Shire during 1999 was 78 million kilometres. RoadsSome 83% of sealed roads are considered to be in average-to-poor condition, and in urgent need of rehabilitation or upgrading in the next four years. All of the unsealed roads are considered to be either in average or poor condition, with 50% requiring rehabilitation or upgrading in the next four years. Sealed roads are 51% of the total in the shire. The overall road condition is described as declining. Council has invested quite heavily in its road infrastructure during the reporting period. The total value of the asset at 30 June 1999 was $64.773 million, and more than $13 million was spent over three years (close to 20%). There is no management plan in place. SewerageCouncil had no data on the age or life expectancy of the sewerage system, but has assessed that it is in satisfactory condition. quite specific upgrade activities are planned for the next four years, including chemical dosing for phosphorus reduction, upgraded sludge handling and mixing facilities. Just under 40% of properties are sewered. there is no management plan in place. Water supplyThe reticulated water supply is assessed as being in satisfactory condition, although the average age and life expectancy were not known. Only routine maintenance is noted as a requirement for the next four years. StormwaterThe stormwater system is 30 years old, with 30 years design life remaining. It is in poor condition, and the required upgrade in the next four years is unknown. There appears to be no management plan in place. Council invested $6.563 million in the total water infrastructure during the reporting period, of which $2.768 million was in capital works. Value of the water infrastructure at 30 June 1999 was $49.243 million. EnergyWe were unable to obtain information about infrastructure for energy. In retrospect, one measure of the efficiency of service would be the number of outages (blackouts) experienced in any reporting period, if such data were available on a Shire basis. CommunicationsA communications survey was conducted by the Australian Capital Region Development Council during the reporting period, with Federal Government funding. The region was found to be deficient in terms of mobile phone and intranet services. Community facilitiesResidents are considered to have good level access to cultural facilities, with three art galleries, a museum, a theatre and a cinema. As with many other rural shires in the region, sporting interests and recreational needs are well provided for. Public community facilities and services to the population in the Shire are provided at a level which allows ready access. During the reporting period, Council invested more than $21.5 million in community and cultural facilities in the Shire, some $15.2 million of which was on capital works. EducationEducation is not directly a Council responsibility, but the provision of educational services has a direct effect on the opportunities for young members of the population for career choices and employment. The area is serviced by 13 educational institutions, including five government primary and infants schools, one government secondary school, two central schools, one school for specific purposes, a College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE), plus three non-government primary schools. The total student body was around 2270 during the reporting period. There is insufficient information from the NSW Department of Education and Training on the schools' capacity to report on whether the need for infrastructure is adequately met in the Shire. HousingThere was no information about accommodation provided by NSW Department of Housing, or indeed, whether that Department has a presence in the Shire. HealthThere was no information about the number of hospital beds available in the shire. The Southern Area Health Service (SAHS) has advised that around 81% of all hospitalisations are handled within the region—around 55% by the SAHS and 26% by the ACT health system. The remainder are most likely to be treated in Sydney. Availability and accessibility of appropriate health services is an important consideration where there is an ageing population. Emergency servicesThe shire is serviced by four ambulances from two stations—one in Tumut, the other in Batlow (equivalent to 0.54 ambulances per thousand population). The Shire also has a Rural Fire Service, but details were not provided. ImplicationsAll infrastructure is designed to improve community amenity in some way. Different types of infrastructure have varying effects on the biophysical environment, both at the time of construction and thereafter. For example, water supply dams and pipelines impact on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and stream quality and quantity, and frequently introduce pest plants and animals to a new area. Roads and electricity corridors also exert impacts on biodiversity, with runoff, particularly from unsealed roads, likely to affect stream condition. The impacts, risk assessment and the options to reduce the impacts are important considerations in Council decisions concerning ongoing management, renewal or expansion of infrastructure. Where it has not yet been done, asset recording and reporting systems need to be developed or completed to ensure the efficient management and control of assets. Such systems also need to be integrated to ensure that Council's various reporting requirements can be met without duplication. Improved communications networks (Internet services and electronic education) will improve access to a range of opportunities for technology-based activities, enterprises and education. Objectives to be achieved
BackgroundCommunity infrastructure, facilities and services provide the technical capacity for delivering access to essentials of community living including clean water, shelter, ease of movement around the community, education and places to meet and to have fun. Councils all over Australia are now facing the problem of ageing assets in need of renewal. Many of these assets were never funded by the Councils in the first place, but came by way of grant (from State or Commonwealth), from developer contributions or from a shift of responsibilities for previously State owned assets to local government. Had Councils been responsible for funding all of their infrastructure, it is highly likely that they would have acquired less. Moreover, their rate levels would have been increased to meet the needs of asset acquisition and some of this higher level of rate revenue may have continued on to be available for renewal. As it is, Councils now have to prepare for increased funding to meet the needs of asset renewal. (Facing the Renewal Challenge, Victorian Local Government Infrastructure Study, December 1998) Under the NSW Local Government Act 1993 Councils should adopt the following asset management techniques in all phases of the life cycle of their physical non current assets:
Additionally, Councils are also required to report on the condition of the public works (including public buildings, public roads and water, sewerage and drainage works) under the control of the Council as at the end of that year, together with:
Reporting on valuation, condition and expenditure on land and buildings and water and sewerage assets was first required by Government in 1994–95. In 1995–96, such reporting was required of transport and communication assets, and in 1996–97, of drainage assets. The focus in this assessment of infrastructure and provision of services is from a social perspective. In other words, this is an attempt to assess the extent to which infrastructure and service provision is supplying the demands of the community, its technologies and its lifestyle. The impact of infrastructure provision on other 'non-human' aspects of the environment has not been assessed specifically. This would require a major investigation of infrastructure in relation to impacts on the land resources given over to infrastructure, consequent erosion or land degradation arising from road construction and other modification of catchments, the impact (or potential impact) on biodiversity, the impact on water quality—either short-term or long-term. Such an investigation would be beneficial, particularly in relation to the resource implications of modern lifestyle and expectations. It is similar, too, to the 'ecological footprint' and 'urban metabolism' approaches which highlight the consequences of our lifestyle decisions, and fit comfortably with requirements that councils adopt Ecologically Sustainable Development principles in their activities. State and sometimes Commonwealth agencies are responsible for certain types of infrastructure (particularly schools, public housing and health). This means that decisions which affect provision of such services for all cross-sections of the community can be beyond Council's control. Indicators used to assess this issue
|
