Local governments in British Columbia are faced with this challenge: the initial capital cost of infrastructure is about 20% of the life-cycle cost; the other 80% largely represents a future unfunded liability. Fiscal constraints provide a powerful impetus for doing business differently to ‘achieve more with less’.
“The term Sustainable Service Delivery describes a new way of thinking about infrastructure needs and how to pay for those needs over time. Everyone needs to be thinking in terms of life-cycle costs, especially future recapitalization of the investment. In the current financial climate, there will be even stiffer competition for available funding. As a result, there is a greater incentive for local governments to demonstrate innovation and integration,” states Glen Brown, Executive Director with the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. His responsibilities encompass local government infrastructure and finance.
“Sustainable Service Delivery is very much about integrating land use planning and infrastructure asset management to achieve holistic outcomes."
The Comox Valley Regional Team is setting the stage for A Regional Response to ‘Infrastructure Liability’. A 3-part seminar series in April-May-June will provide a forum for shared learning. The target audience is land use and infrastructure professionals in the local government and development sectors. To register, click here.
News Release #2011-13
March 22, 2011
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