There is a real and impactful leadership opportunity for Public Works professionals to change the way their organisations think and act with respect to the provision and management of infrastructure. Moving Sustainability and Climate Adaptation & Mitigation from being treated as an "add on" to being completely integrated into the way we work. We need to face and get in front of the impacts of climate change on public assets and show leadership to the community by planning for these impacts. Asset Management Plans, Design Standards, Specifications and Procurement Guidelines present this opportunity.
Circular Ballarat is a framework to transition the City of Ballarat towards a circular economy. This means economic and environmental results for both our community and economy. To achieve great results for our environment, we need to change the way we plan, design, procure, construct and maintain our infrastructure. The goal of a circular economy is to maximise the value at each point in a product's life. This principle has applications in the re-use and recycling of materials in Public Works.
We need to ensure public works operations and procurement activities have a positive impact to the communities in which we live. If we work from the premise that every purchase has an impact on the environment, then by extension we must purchase sustainable products and services to ensure better environmental outcomes.
Do your Asset Management Plans include Climate Adaptation? Do your construction specifications mandate sustainable materials and practices? Does your tender evaluation include environmental impact over the lifecycle of the asset?
Ways to address these questions will be presented including examples and case studies.