Queensland public works engineers peak body to assist SLGAAP
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is linking with the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEAQ) on the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).
The Queensland peak body for public works engineers to help will offer support to the project, including helping to develop the Asset Assessment Framework.
SLGAAP is a Commonwealth-funded initiative to help local councils undertake heavy vehicle assessments on their own on-road assets, such as bridges and culverts.
Read about the earlier stages of SLGAAP, here
The move comes as a Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) probe that finds councils in that state lack the comprehensive data needed for cost-efficient and effective road maintenance.
The report states that the five councils covered are unable to determine whether their road maintenance program is cost-effective because “they lack the detailed cost data they need to analyse and benchmark their performance”.
It recommends all Victorian councils review their road surveying methods and consider options to incorporate technologically advanced surveying equipment.
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) notes that the preparation of its 2021 National State of the Assets (NSoA) Report has reached the data validation and analysis stage, with publication due to coincide with the National General Assembly in June.
“One of the core objectives of the NSoA project is to provide aggregated data and performance trends for local roads and other local council asset groups to ensure they are in good repair and meet community needs,” ALGA says.