In exactly two weeks, the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) is hosting its 5th Annual Summit. As part of the program, CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island is holding a “Forum within the Summit” on the afternoon of October 18th. Designed for local government, the Forum is co-hosted by VIEA’s Sustainability Committee. The Forum starts at 12:30pm.
“CAVI participation at the 2010 VIEA Summit was both timely and rewarding in that a promising partnership was formed with VIEA. This partnership provides an opportunity to develop an integrated approach to sustainability on Vancouver Island based upon a balanced understanding of the relationship between the economy and the environment,” reports Eric Bonham, a founding member of the CAVI Leadership Team. He is a former Director in the Ministries of Environment and Municipal Affairs.
Eric Bonham will open the Forum with a call to action. His message: ‘We can achieve Mission Possible: A 50-Year Vision for Vancouver Island’. The next day, he will repeat this message at the main Summit.
“We must look outside our boundaries and work with our neighbouring communities for the betterment of all. Vancouver Island could be a test case…to show the world literally….how we can collaborate and pull things together.”
INFRASTRUCTURE LIABILITY: The Forum program is designed for local government, and is built around the 'infrastructure liability' theme. Fiscal constraints provide a driver for a change in the way local governments plan, finance, implement, and over time replace infrastructure.
"Sustainable Service Delivery is the Province's branding for a comprehensive approach to infrastructure asset management. This approach goes beyond an accountant’s life-cycle analysis. The paradigm-shift starts with land use planning and determining what services can be provided sustainably, both fiscally and ecologically," explains Kim Stephens, Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.
"A primary driver for doing business differently is the unfunded infrastructure liability. This refers to the financial challenge currently facing all local governments. The challenge is sometimes referred to as 'the 20/80 rule' because the initial capital cost of municipal infrastructure only represents about 20% of the ultimate life-cycle cost. Paying for the other 80% is at the heart of the public infrastructure dilemma. Each year the funding shortfall grows."
"A primary driver for doing business differently is the unfunded infrastructure liability. This refers to the financial challenge currently facing all local governments. The challenge is sometimes referred to as 'the 20/80 rule' because the initial capital cost of municipal infrastructure only represents about 20% of the ultimate life-cycle cost. Paying for the other 80% is at the heart of the public infrastructure dilemma. Each year the funding shortfall grows."
TO REGISTER: The cost of registration only for the "Forum within the Summit" is $75. To register, click on this link: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/event/ForumwithintheSummit.asp
To register for the Summit and attend all other sessions (including the Forum), click on www.viea.ca/summit.
TO LEARN MORE: To access the Forum 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the Forum context and program design, click here. To download a document that explains the Forum structure and foreshadows what will be covered, click on Convening for Action Vision for the Forum within the Summit.
News Release #2011-45
October 4, 2011
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