2018-09-11 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              11 SEPTEMBER 2018


The Asset Management Bridge Working Group developed and considered all of these options and
identified option 2 as the most preferred option. This decision was based on the short to long term
asset priorities, ongoing financial liabilities to the Noosa community, relatively small benefit to the
greater Noosa community, the asset not being on a trunk network, the current high risk with the
unauthorised access and potential for the bridge to collapse and the bridge not being considered
a critical asset in the connectivity of community assets.

4.    Asset Management and Renewals

The 2005 Council report made no mention of the long-term viability or expected life of the existing
bridge structures. There was no indication in the report of the ongoing costs of maintaining a road
bridge as a pedestrian bridge. There was also no indicative whole of life costs considered, as the
structural components of the Gumtree Drive bridge were designed to accommodate vehicles and
any changes or downgrading of components to a lesser structural capacity would still require
significant redesign and modification works to complement the existing bridge components.

In reviewing past documentation there is no evidence to indicate a desire by Noosa Council to
remediate or renew the bridge during the period the bridge was a functional pedestrian bridge. It
appears the Gumtree Drive bridge was operated to “run to fail” as there are no records of any major
maintenance activities undertaken by Council.

Staff have considered the recently removed Mary River Road pedestrian bridge as an alternative
renewal option. In utilising a second hand bridge, there are less capital costs however, the trade-
off is that the remaining life of the bridge will be less and like any asset, the second half of an
assets life consistently has higher maintenance costs than the first half.

In making good asset management decisions, the need to have an organisational approach is
fundamental. The Gumtree Drive bridge is considered a low order bridge in comparison to higher
order pedestrian bridges such as Chaplin Park bridge, Weyba pedestrian bridge and Doonella
pedestrian bridge that are maintained by Noosa Council. The Chaplin Park bridge at Noosaville
has been identified as a priority for rehabilitation over the next two years.

A whole of Council approach to assets ensures Council maintains a sustainable approach to not
only the management of the pedestrian bridge asset class but also to all asset classes. The asset
management commitment to achieving sustainable outcomes often requires a compromise to
determine organisational priorities to ensure these decisions have a benefit to the greater
community.

5.    Conclusion

The Gumtree Drive bridge was originally constructed as a vehicle bridge. The conversion to a
pedestrian bridge in 2005 highlights the need to have more information before such a decision is
made in the future. There was no consideration for whole of life costs, the asset condition or the
ongoing management impacts of changing the use of an asset that exceeds the design standards
for a pedestrian bridge.

The preferred Option 2 of removing the bridge ensures Council mitigates the risks identified in this
report. The consideration of a replacement bridge was assessed by members of the Asset
Management Bridge Working Group and whilst there were opportunities to utilise a second hand
pedestrian bridge, the ongoing maintenance costs, shorter life span and limited use of the bridge
was not considered viable. A new replacement pedestrian bridge was considered an excessive
alternative and the whole of life costs were considered well beyond the overall community benefit.




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