The impacts of climate change are increasingly evident manifesting in frequent storms, heavy rainfall, flooding, extreme heat waves, bushfires, and droughts. These effects vary by geographic location, built environment, and levels of preparedness and local government authorities are at the forefront of mitigation and adaptation efforts.
This presentation explores the ramifications of climate change on local government operations, particularly focusing on the challenges to Capital Works Program (CWP) delivery. Through an asset management (AM) lens, our findings reveal climate-related events result in:
- Accelerated degradation or impairment resulting in premature need for asset replacement or renewal.
- Increased diversion of resources to emergency works and clean-up efforts to restore serviceability of assets affected by the events.
- Increased need to invest in better HVAC systems in facilities.
- Reallocation of planned capital funding to emergency works.
- Capital works being delayed and taking longer to complete.
- Change in actual capital works treatment required compared to planned because of underlying changes to condition/performance data as a result of frequent extreme weather events.
Consequently, these can result in:
- Challenges in meeting organisational service delivery standards.
- An increase in asset backlogs.
- Diminished community satisfaction and trust in local governments.
In response, this presentation will discuss:
- Strategies employed by councils to integrate climate change risk assessments, adaptation plans, and resilience frameworks into AM practices and capital works planning.
- The utilisation of tools and data, including NSW and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCLim), to inform decisions.
- The existing gaps between necessary and available resources to effectively address these challenges.
In summary, climate change poses real and significant threats to the delivery of local government capital works programs. Drawing from a comprehensive survey, this presentation summarises the current impacts of climate change on asset management practices and CWP delivery, the adaptive measures implemented, and strategies for enhanced future planning.