The national local government association will be contacting councils in coming weeks asking them to provide data for an update of the National State of the Assets report.

The report is based on data provided by professional officers responsible for engineering and asset management from councils, across categories including roads, bridges, buildings and facilities, parks, water assets and airports and aerodromes

“I’m delighted to announce today that ALGA will once again partner with IPWEA to update the National State of the Assets report, with the next instalment to be published in 2024,” President Linda Scott said in an address to the National Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Congress in Canberra on Wednesday.

Cr Scott said the data collection is vital for ensuring investment plans and spending are guided by accurate facts and analysis.

The 2021 report found a third of local government assets were not in good condition, and one in ten of all council assets were in need of signigicant attention. Three in every 100 assets were in need of possible replacement.

Replacing poor quality infrastructure was estimated to cost $51 billion, the report said, with the cost of replacing infrastructure in fair condition up to $138 billion.

Providing up to date data will also lend weight to ALGA’s ongoing advocacy for more money for road and community infrastructure maintenance and renewal, Cr Scott said.

“I would urge you to make sure that your council is involved, so we can get an accurate picture of where we are today, especially after two years of natural disasters and the impact they’ve had on our communities,” she said.

Pledge to continue push for more funding

Cr Scott used her opening address to delegates to take another dig at the demise of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program in the last federal budget.

She said while some of the funding losses will be offset by the $200 million Thriving Suburbs Program and a $150 million Urban Precincts and Partnerships program, ALGA would continue to push for more community infrastructure funding programs.

The association will also continue to lobby for an increase of $300 million a year in the in Roads to Recovery Program, which Cr Scott said hadn’t seen an increase in years despite growing costs for materials and labour.

Local government manages a third of Australia’s public infrastructure assets, including roads and community infrastructure, worth more than $500 billion.