A new model for asset management: Albany Lakes Precinct

Over the last decade, New Zealand has developed a "Low Impact Design" (LID) approach to subdivisions and land development. The approach, sometimes known as water sensitive urban design, involves a strong focus on the management of stormwater and sustainable concepts. Whilst often effective in principle, the councils and managers of the vested assets have raised issues with the long term operation, maintenance and whole of life cost of the approach. Many of these concerns center around transportation assets, and in particular roads, as conventional maintenance contracts may not readily adapt to assets with multiple functions, non-standard solutions, or green engineering. Environmental or community stakeholders can also be disappointed when assets do not appear to deliver expected outcomes, or when amenity values or functional intent degrades quickly. When North Shore City Council (now part of the greater Auckland "Super City") opened the Albany Lakes and Civic Crescent projects (Albany Lakes Precinct (ALP)), it was realised that there was an opportunity to anticipate likely maintenance issues and establish a new approach to asset management. A project was therefore instigated to integrate asset management requirements for stormwater, streetscapes, parks, and transportation assets (which in this instance also included a public transport hub). The project aimed to enable the sustainable concepts behind LID, to address implementation barriers, and identify and optimise interface efficiencies. It encourages asset owners to think beyond the asset, and especially beyond the pavement. The project foreshadowed the regional restructuring of local government (and amended asset accountabilities). Furthermore, the constrained economic context also provided an additional imperative to seek cost effective means of improving efficiency, value for money, and quality long term outcomes. What started as a simple concept and strategy is now being developed into a new asset management approach and is being considered for wider roll out; not only in Auckland, but in other areas. This paper explores this development in infrastructure management. It considers the maintenance of the high quality civic area in which LID has been heavily embedded and the ongoing operational and maintenance approach necessary to maintain the quality outcomes sought. The approach provides a more holistic and responsive approach to asset management and establishes an industry step change.

• Record URL:
  • https://aetransport.org/past-etc-papers/conference-papers-2011
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract used by permission of Association for European Transport.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association for European Transport (AET)

  1 Vernon Mews, Vernon Street, West Kensington
  London W14 0RL,    
• Authors:
  • Blom, Carron
  • Irwin, Andy
  • Rangamuwa, Siri
• Conference:
  • European Transport Conference 2011
  • Location: Glasgow , Scotland
  • Date: 2011-10-10 to 2011-10-12
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 20p
• Monograph Title: European Transport Conference 2011: Seminars

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asset management; Life cycle analysis; Sustainable development; Urban development
• Uncontrolled Terms: Holistic approach; Low impact development
• Geographic Terms: Auckland (New Zealand)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01491574
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 3 2013 12:27PM