Region’s assets in good shape

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

Almost 90 per cent of Durham’s assets have been rated fair to very good according to a recent report.

Regional council was updated on the Durham’s Asset Management Plan at its latest meeting.

The purpose of asset management is to advise on the state of the region’s infrastructure, service levels, life-cycle, risk and climate change, inform on financial planning, capital plans, budgets and forecasts, and to comply with all senior government requirements. “Asset Management is the foundation for financial planning and capital plans and forecasts,” Mary Simpson, acting commissioner of finance told council.

As Simpson presented the update to regional council, she said that the region’s assets all receive a designation of very poor, poor, fair, good or very good.

Thus far in 2018, 88.6 per cent of Durham’s assets have been rated fair to very good. Ninety-two per cent of  the region’s water supply assets and 92.7 per cent of its sanitary sewerage assets are rated fair to very good.

Regionally-owned facilities are also rated highly at 90.1 per cent being fair to very good as well. However, transportation assets are lower as only 78.3 per cent are rated fair to very good.
Simpson states that while $31 million has been earmarked for road maintenance in the plan, the region will likely need to raise that amount to somewhere between $35 million and $38 million.

The plan includes a number of strategies to address the region’s long-term needs.

These include condition assessment and performance measures for the programs that need improvement, an analysis of risk, needs and maintenance options, a look at long term capital plans, business case evaluations with life-cycle costs and benefits, and finally financing strategies that consider specific replacement programs, dedicated funding, annual budget allocations and grant applications.