Regional Infrastructure Projects Update - July 2013

Asset Management

As I continue making my way around to each Council and hold one-on-one discussions about where everyone is at with their asset management plans, I also have been asking questions regarding current issues which Councils face with asset management capability and capacity. One very clear message coming out of this is the need for training.  Many Council staff were trained in NAMS.Plus several years ago.  An updated version, NAMS.Plus2, is available and quite a few people across the region have indicated their interest in receiving training on this updated version.  With courses usually scheduled in the capital cities, the overall costs of attendance can be a significant limiting factor.  To this end, we have commenced discussions with IPWEA with regard to holding a course within the region.  It is likely we will need a total of 15-20 attendees to make this viable.

Regional Recycling Opportunities

During the month I continued the process of having discussions with Councils about their current practices and collecting data to build a regional snapshot. From these discussions a clear message is emerging around securing contractors who provide services to Councils.  Such opportunities exist in the areas of waste tyres, steel and green waste.  A second workshop to explore these potential opportunities has been scheduled for 18 July, with the outcomes of this workshop to be reported back to the FNQROC Board in August.