2014-02-25 Infrastructure & Services Committee Meeting Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              25 FEBRUARY 2014


Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) transferred approximately 500 projects over a 10 year period to
Noosa Council during the transition period. These projects require varying levels of review before
they can be considered for delivery and this task will be ongoing through the development of the
forward Capital Works Program. The 2013/14 Capital Works Program was developed based on
the capital projects identified by SCC for that year as well as including projects that Transfer
Team staff had identified as high priority for the new Noosa Council. There was a specific intent
to reduce the number of projects in the first 6 months of the new Council due the short delivery
timeframe and other financial sustainability considerations.

In producing a Capital Works Program for 2014/15 the development of a framework that enables
staff to identify, scope and prioritise projects via a consistent approach prior to the adoption of the
program is considered essential for its implementation.

PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION

The former Noosa Shire Council established and adopted a 5 year Capital Works Program for
the 2007/08 financial year. The 5 year capital program provided significant detail on projects to
be delivered for the 2007/08 financial year and also indicated projects proposed for years 2 to 5
of the program. This approach not only provides Council with greater outlook on the projects to
be delivered but also allocates suitable timeframes for planning, design and approvals in the lead
up to the project being considered for delivery.

REPORT

It is proposed that for the 2014/15 budget development process the Capital Works Program will
be a 3 year program. The program will be expanded from a 3 year to a 10 year program once
Council adopts the long term Financial Plan, the Corporate Plan and develops Asset
Management Plans that include robust renewal and replacement programs.

1.    Introduction

The intention for the development of the Capital Works Program and Framework is to ensure a
whole of Council approach. The requirement to provide detailed information for projects is
essential to ensure that the initial intention and scope of any given project is not lost over a
period of time, until the project is prioritised and allocated in the program.

A number of issues have been identified for the development of the 3 year Capital Works
Program and they include:
 Ensuring Councillors are informed on how a project made it on to the program;
 Have a robust multi-year program so that Councillors have confidence that the projects they
   are approving are the right ones for the community;
 The Capital Works Program is primarily focused on renewal and rehabilitation projects (i.e.
   looking after what we currently have);
 There is equity across programs and the community to deliver the required levels of service;
 Documented processes need to be established for the long term program;
 Priority needs to be given to renewal and replacement projects over new or upgrade projects;
 The removal of “Councillor emergent or discretionary funds” in an undivided Council;
 Inclusion in Council’s financial model development to ensure funding implications are
   considered for Council’s financial sustainability outlook; and
 A centralised database or register to manage the projects and the overall program.




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