Highlights
Getting a baseline of data on 6,500 assets over 500,00 hectares
Using data modelling to extrapolate future funding requirements
Creating a system for rangers to collect data ongoing
Background: Local Land Services
Local Land Services is a regional-focused NSW Government agency delivering quality customer services to farmers, landholders and the wider community. It helps people make better decisions about the land they manage and assists rural and regional communities to be profitable and sustainable into the future. Local Land Services helps improve agricultural productivity and better manage natural resources by connecting people with groups, information, support, and funding.
The challenge: mapping thousands of assets across millions of hectares
Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) are parcels of Crown land reserved under the Crown Land Management Act 2016 for use by travelling stock. TSRs have been an integral part of rural life in Australia for more than 150 years and were initially set aside to move livestock from farms to markets or railheads.
The TSR area in NSW that Local Land Services is responsible for - approximately 533,911 hectares or almost 30 per cent of NSW TSRs The NSW government is committed to maintaining a viable, well maintained and connected TSR network for the future. But TSRs have been under different funding envelopes, and within those envelopes, there was little to no data on the assets or their condition.
In 2014, Local Land Services was created. An amalgamation of several previous agencies which created a single agency to manage TSRs and a review process in 2017 to discover how TSRs were being used. After the community review, the findings showed that many areas hold great significance, especially to community and aboriginal communities. However, Local Land Services found that the asset data available was incomplete and out of date.
"Due to the previously fragmented management of the TSRs, there was little to no information on the TSRs. Local Land Services had no visibility of the assets on the 6,500 TSRs nor the condition of those assets. This made it much harder to make evidence-based funding requests for future liability," explains Matt Walker, Chief Financial Officer, Local Land Services.
The solution: getting a baseline of correct data
Local Land Services needed to get accurate, comprehensive data about TSRs for future funding requirements with an application to Treasury. It was partnering with AssetFuture. Local Land Services created and delivered on the Asset Information Strategy. The first step was to review the available data and determine the quality and accuracy. Getting the remaining data was challenging as carrying out asset condition assessments across 6,500 TSRs would be very lengthy. So AssetFuture helped Local Land Services create an innovative approach to accelerate Asset Management maturity and create evidence for funding requirements sooner.
Local Land Services assessed 8% of the TSRs in NSW from selecting TSRs with different uses. The early results were the commonality of the assets found on these TSRs, most commonly windmills, dams, fences and cattle troughs. These assets could then be grouped into two asset classes to prioritise the asset renewal program: critical water infrastructure and critical safety infrastructure (mainly in animal handling yards).
Working with a skilled assessment team from AssetFuture, Local Land Services established a transparent and standardised condition rating with photos as visual aids. This formed the baseline of the condition ratings used in the Asset Register for all future data acquisition. This data was then stored as an active, dynamic Asset Register within AssetFuture. The 8% was extrapolated to create a complete picture of the assets and their condition, allowing Life Cycle Costing analysis. From this extrapolation, Local Land Services successfully applied for funding to Treasury.
"This Asset Information Strategy gave Local Land Services a pathway to understanding the future liability on maintaining TSRs for the community, and to make an evidence-based application for funding from Treasury. It also provided information for our annual Statutory Financial Audit," says Matt Walker, Chief Financial Officer, Local Land Services .
The outcome: accurate forecasting and up-to-date information
The project also included creating a sustainable plan for keeping data up to date. Ongoing data and information management are critical to ensure that forecasting future liability is accurate for future funding requirements. As part of the Asset Information Strategy, Local Land Services created a plan to train TSR Rangers to collect asset data. Rangers regularly travel through the TSRs as part of their daily duties. This presents an ideal opportunity to collect data on the TSRs they travel, significantly if an asset is damaged due to weather or animal movement.
Local Land Services arranged for the Rangers to be trained on the AssetFuture mobile application AssetCapture to collect relevant data for ongoing currency and governance. The mobile application can be used offline, which is especially important due to the remote nature of some of the TSRs.
The excellent use of best practice Asset Information Strategy and Management has created a solid evidence base that enabled the TSRs to be funded appropriately and meet statutory Financial Audit requirements. The long-term vision for the TSRs is to have safe TSRs for all community members into the future.
“AssetFuture has been key in enabling Local Land Services to get the necessary data to accurately forecast funding requirements, as well as maintaining the integrity of that data in future. This enables us to have a much better estimation of Life Cycle Costing and secure the funding we need from Treasury to maintain these vital assets into the future.”