Why include natural waterway assets within corporate asset systems?
Natural waterways on council land represent an asset, cost centre and liability to councils. Creeks and streams drain stormwater from upstream catchments and in doing so are a functional component of the drainage system that councils manage to deliver stormwater services.
The Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Charter sets principles to guide councils, which include to “properly manage, develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the environment of the area for which it is responsible for in a manner that is consistent with and promotes the principles of ecologically sustainable development” 1.
Councils can make significant investments in natural resource management works through its estuary, floodplain and coastal land management roles. By formally registering these assets, such investments are better embedded within corporate systems for ongoing management.
Natural waterways can present a risk to public and private assets. Urban creeks in poor condition may erode during severe storms, damaging public and private property. Regular, informed, condition assessment of natural waterways adjacent to infrastructure is one control measure available to manage these risks.
As our urban ‘footprint’ expands, remaining local natural areas may be increasingly valued by the community. In NSW, the recently mandated Integrated Planning and Management Reporting Framework requires councils to prepare 10 year (minimum) Asset Management Strategies and Plan/s to support their overarching 10 year Community Strategic Plan and Delivery Program.
Such Asset Plans are required to cover ‘all assets under a council’s control’. Whilst there is no specific requirement to include natural assets the Community Strategic Plan may strongly support better integration of natural assets into council’s corporate asset systems.2
Urban waterways and adjacent riparian lands provide services that contribute to council's strategic and urban planning objectives, such as provision of visual amenity, contribution to 'open space', informal and formal access between built up areas and flood mitigation. Riparian corridors can be important remnant ‘habitat corridors’ between bushland reserves and can provide vital ‘ecological buffer zones’ that decouple upstream impervious catchments and drainage pipes from receiving waters.
EXAMPLE: Newcastle City Councils' Creek Asset Management System
Newcastle City Council leveraged funds from its regional Catchment Management Authority to do ecological and geomorphological assessments of the condition of 70km of natural creeks and streams on council land. The condition assessment information was integrated within council’s asset information system for 300 unique creek reaches. This data has been used to identify the priority creek reaches that pose risks to built infrastructure such as road culverts. Council used this information to rapidly assess work needs in the aftermath of the major June 2007 Pasha Bulker storm.
Of course, inclusion within an asset register does not guarantee the delivery of environmental objectives for urban waterways. Research now points to how upstream catchment conditions shape the ecological health of natural urban creeks - suggesting that cost effective interventions to protect natural waterways exist should be applied in the catchments unstream of individual creek reaches3.
The research reinforces that asset management and creek rehabilitation is best placed within an integrated management approach that includes land use strategy, land use planning and development control.
REFERENCE
1: The NSW Local Government Act, 1993, Section 8.
2: The NSW Integrated Planning and Reporting Guidelines (2010)
3: Ladson et al Optomising Urban Creek Rehabilitation