On 7 Dec the VAOG released a report on the management of road bridges. The audit assessed whether VicRoads and selected councils are managing road bridges and major culverts effectively.
The report found that Councils’ management of road bridges and major culverts has been partly effective but there were weaknesses in the management of bridges and culverts.
- the completeness, reliability and use of asset information, which applied to all councils in varying degrees
- all councils had gaps in their documented processes, for example, none had adequately documented how they manage high-risk structures.
In terms of performance measurement, local communities do not have access to information that allows them to understand how well councils have managed bridges and culverts.
Councils have not measured bridge performance as experienced by road users. Much of the relevant, technical information they do hold is not made public. This includes budgeted and actual expenditure for creating, maintaining and renewing assets, the rate at which bridges are depreciated and ratings of bridge condition.
Councils need to define levels of service that are meaningful to road users, set targets that take account of community expectations and publish information that measures past achievements and the expected implications of future levels of resourcing.
The report advises Councils should:
- define bridge levels of service that capture the outcomes that are important to road users and incorporate associated targets and measures in their plans
- publish information that will allow the community to understand councils’ performance in terms of the past and forecast costs and service outcomes
- address the information and process weaknesses
Take a look at the full report on the VOGA Wesbsite
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