The following is taken directly from an Audit Committee Report on Asset Management (August 14th, 2006). It has great bearing on the present parlous state of council drains and their maintenance. We quote:
Good asset management provides the desired level of service (functionality and presentation) in the most cost effective manner for the present and future. It involves all activities associated with managing of our community assets including planning, creating, operating, maintaining, replacing, renewing, disposing and financial planning.
Good asset management at Glen Eira demonstrates to the community that Council is a responsible steward of their assets.
We have not yet assessed the number of additional properties that will experience flooding because of the lack of Council drainage but it is likely to be substantial (Council has received over 8,000 requests for action relating to drainage since 1996).
Renewal, Upgrade and New
Our preliminary assessment is that we require about an average of $1.2 million per annum to renew Council’s drainage system in a timely manner. This is about the amount we are currently spending. However, with almost all of Council’s drains having a remaining life of less than 50 years, it is likely that we will need $2.4 million a year for the next 50 years. Such an amount is likely to address only the issue of renewal and does not address the need to upgrade or extend Council’s drainage system to meet current design standards.
A comprehensive investigation into the capacity of Council drainage network is currently underway. To date, Council staff have identified over $20 million in works where Council could improve the capacity of its drainage system to meet current design standards.
In addition to the lack of Council drainage to address current flooding issues, Melbourne Water is predicting that climate change will lead to less but more severe rainfall events. This may lead to changes to the way the Council manages flooding and may require Council to replace drains with even larger drains.
As development increases, and land becomes more valuable, there is increasing pressure from the community to allow owners to develop over Council drains in easements. We therefore anticipate that in the long-term it will cost more to maintain, replace and upgrade our drains within property easements.”
These statements should also be read in conjunction with the Victorian Auditor General’s Report Managing Storm Water Flooding Risks in Melbourne (July 2005). On practically every single criterion evaluated by the Auditor General, Glen Eira features near the very bottom of its comparative councils. Residents should be asking what has changed since 2005?
Glen Eira Debates 
June 2, 2011 at 10:38 AM
The upcoming budget sets aside $3.2+ million for drains. I don’t know how much of this is for maintenance, renewal, or redesigning. I think however that if we’ve had 8000 complaints in 7 years previously, and Glen Eira has known about this problem for decades, then the money spent isn’t enough. I also remember reading somewhere on this blog that cleaning of drains has dropped from 30 odd km per year to about 25 km last year. This must surely affect the ability of our drains to cope with heavy rains.
I’m also thinking about Reprobate’s recent comments on how the planning scheme has clauses that are being ignored by council. Maybe the excuse for this is in the current post where blame is sheeted on to the “community” rather than developers and a council that aids and abets them.
It’s also pretty hard to accept the fact that when families are homeless for months and months that this council can even contemplate spending nearly 7 million on a grandstand and pavilion and countless millions on grass. The problem with drains is not new and it needs to be fixed and planned for diligently and sensibly. Personally I don’t think this is happening.
June 2, 2011 at 1:28 PM
When unnecessary mega palaces are built to accommodate people’s huge egos then there is a cost to pay. GESAC is the perfect example as is the well over budget of the Carnegie library. There’s the millions on pavilions and so the story goes. Whether or not any of these have made a profit or broken even is something that we’ll never know. Let’s face it, extravagant monoliths that can be seen are much more sexy than money poured into drains. They’re underground of course and out of sight.
June 2, 2011 at 2:44 PM
Gentleman, please. We got away with plenty having a drought for 10 years. Drains were forgotten about. However, having sporting facilities where people can meet and compete and socialise are an important aspect of our society. People in cilvilised societies want more than vast open spaces to wander around. They want facilities where they can play sport. 40 years ago the idea of building a swimming pool with an indoor pool not for swimming and heated to 31 degrees would have seemed madness. They want indoor netball or soccer. In 2011 it is what people want. Many are not interested in doing laps they want waves or a big water slide. The world changes. Some will remember having a cold shower in a football pavillion with no lights. Sometimes one would be lucky to dodge the broken beer bottle on the concrete floor. The floor covering was an old cricket mat. Today none of that is acceptable. The Council reflects what most people are comfortable with. I am sure that the Council are aware of the state of the drains as they are aware of the condition of the roads, footpaths, baby health centres, pavillions, signage etc. It is all about balance. Some of the projects that go over budget are due to unforseen costs. OK, they may have been obvious with hindsight but that is human nature. We hope that they will learn for next time. I think that someone would know if GESAC was on budget and will open as planned. Now maybe Gleneira can answer that one.
June 2, 2011 at 5:33 PM
Ernie, I want to live in a 2 million dollar mansion. I want a live in maid. I want to drive an Audi. I want to be able to earn $200,000pa and comfortably send my kids to private schools. I want heaps. Yet, I can’t afford it. I have to live within my and my wife’s means. That’s why we budget, count our pennies and work out exactly what we can afford and what we can’t. When our credit cards go over the limit we pay extra, so we’ve learnt to watch our expenses. I don’t think that those who make the decisions about how to spend our money have learnt this basic principle of life. If they would have, then they would realise that spending $45 million with no real guarantee of success and profit is a no go. But that’s councils for you.