Speakers

About Dharmen Dhaliah

Dharmen Dhaliah is an infrastructure asset management leader, advisor, and author with over two decades of experience in infrastructure and asset-intensive organizations across municipal, utility, and private sector environments. He serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the PEMAC Asset Management Association of Canada and is a Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA), contributing to the advancement of asset management practices in Canada and internationally.

Dharmen is the author of Physical Asset Management – An Organizational Challenge and Organization-Wide Physical Asset Management - A Systems Approach, which introduce frameworks for integrating organizational leadership, systems thinking, and lifecycle decision-making across asset-intensive organizations.

From Strategy to Value: Organisational and Systems Approaches to Operationalising Asset Management

International frameworks such as the ISO 55000 Asset Management Standard, the GFMAM Asset Management Landscape, and the IAM Anatomy of Asset Management have significantly strengthened the strategic foundations of asset management. However, many organizations continue to face a persistent challenge: translating asset management strategies, policies, and plans into operational decisions that deliver measurable outcomes and organizational value. This presentation explores a progressive approach to addressing this challenge through three complementary perspectives.

The first perspective focuses on the organizational foundations of asset management, emphasizing the critical role of leadership, governance, culture, and cross-functional alignment in enabling effective asset management practices. Building on this foundation, the second perspective introduces a systems approach, positioning asset management as an integrated organization-wide system that connects strategy, lifecycle planning, risk management, financial decision-making, and operational activities across the enterprise.

About Lace Daniel

Lace Daniel is the Manager Operations at Hepburn Shire Council, leading the delivery of works, parks and engineering services across a diverse rural municipality. With over 15 years' experience in local government and a strong interest in asset and maintenance management, Lace focuses on using practical data and systems to support better, long-term decision making and strengthening how Councils plan for the future.

From Community Plan to Asset Plan: Turning Deliberation into Practical Decisions

How does a small rural Council make confident, long-term decisions with limited data, constrained budgets and diverse community expectations? This presentation shares the journey of Hepburn Shire Council in strengthening its approach to asset management by connecting community priorities to practical, financially informed decisions. As a small rural Council without access to complex systems and datasets, Hepburn has focussed on getting the fundamentals right. Rather than treating strategic asset management as a compliance exercise, the organisation has worked to position it as a practical tool to support clearer, more transparent decision making. A key part of this journey has been linking community engagement to asset and financial planning through simple, whole-of-portfolio scenario modelling. Using fit for purpose and cost-effective tools, Council has been able to explore real-life trade-offs between service levels, risk and affordability.

These scenarios have been used both internally and with the community to support more informed conversations. Instead of presenting fixed options, throughout the engagement, Council were able to work through different funding and service choices to better understand the impact over time. This helped shift the discussion from broad aspirations to more grounded and testable decisions. Importantly, this approach is still evolving. It has not removed all the challenges around data, systems or consistency, but it has provided a clearer line of sight between community expectations, asset performance and long-term financial sustainability. The presentation will step through the engagement process, demonstrate how scenario modelling has been applied in practice, and outline how this is shaping Council's path forward. This includes a focus on service level review, asset rationalisation, improved data and systems and more integrated long-term planning.

Rudolf Espada

The speaker is a Spatial Analyst within the Powerlink Queensland's Delivery and Technical Services - Digital Engineering Department, specialising in geospatial analytics, environmental modelling, and data-driven decision support. Prior to joining Powerlink, the speaker held multiple spatial roles across agricultural consulting and local government, including work with city council.

A Digital Twin and Big Data Analytics Framework for Integrated Multi-Hazard Risk Modelling

The Calvale–Calliope River (C2C) Reinforcement Project is subject to interacting climate hazards—including wind, flooding, ground wetness, heatwaves, bushfires, and cyclones—that directly influence access, safety, productivity, and construction sequencing across geographically distributed transmission assets. Conventional planning methods rely on generic weather allowances and do not adequately represent asset-specific exposure, temporal variability, or cumulative multi-hazard effects.

This study presents a Digital Twin and Big Data Analytics framework to quantify multi-hazard operational disruption at the asset level over a 35-year historical period (1990–2024). A unified daily asset digital twin was developed using a scalable GeoParquet architecture, representing each asset-day as a virtual exposure to historical climate conditions. Hazard-specific feature engineering integrates long-term climate data, terrain attributes, physics-informed models, and machine learning techniques to estimate probabilistic Work / Derate / Outage (W/D/O) states for individual towers and spans.

About Adela Parnell

Adela Parnell is an engineer with a varied career, with experience both in consulting and working at TasWater, the statewide water and sewerage authority in Tasmania. Whilst her time at TasWater has seen her achieve nearly as many job titles as years of service, she has primarily been working within the sphere of asset management. In 2026 she took a leap into TasWater Operations as part of a secondment opportunity to be an Operation Essentials Change Lead, valuing the chance to work within a different part of the business. Her volunteer shadow career has led her to hold various office-bearer positions at both Engineers Australia and IPWEA.

Operations Essentials: Nailing the Basics and Fixing the Essential Resources Needed to get the Job Done

This presentation is a case study of the Operations Essentials program at TasWater, and how upskilling staff with formal change management training has led to positive asset management outcomes within the utility. TasWater, the state-wide water and sewerage authority for Tasmania, maintains and operates 59 water treatment plants and 110 sewage treatments plants in a state with the population of nearly 576 thousand people (approx. 10% of the population of Melbourne). It is an organisation born from a legacy of reform, bringing with it both challenges and opportunities. The Operations Essentials program is one of TasWater’s Top 5 organisational priorities. Its focus is about working smarter, improving consistency, and achieving better outcomes for staff, the bottom line, and customers.

About Ashley Bishop

Ashley Bishop is a member of the IPWEA asset management committee and has recently retired from being the Coordinator - Strategic Asset Management for Manningham City Council in Victoria. Ashley has considerable experience in the Public Sector commencing at the MMBW in Engineering and Computing progressing through Administration and Training, with similar experience in the private sector, TAFE and at Deakin University. Commencing in Asset Management in 2002 setting up the asset management system, the development and implementation of Asset Management and Service Plans and Practices, Capital Works Evaluation and program development and valuations. He was a key member of the assets team at Glenelg Shire and Warrnambool City Councils and the lone operator at Benalla Rural City and helped out at Murrindindi Shire as part of the disaster relief operation. He has a passion for developing Asset Management as a recognised field of study and promoting the use of standard procedures and practices across the industry and the strength of regional forums to discuss asset management issues. Ashley has professional qualifications in Human Resources, Training and Development, Defence Studies and in Infrastructure and Engineering Management and held a commission as an engineer officer in the Australian Army Reserve.

Structuring your Asset Management Department

Asset Management is often centred on a group of people with an organisation, the scope of this responsibility is also varied between organisations. While many of the tools developed for asset management are adequate for the job, the structure of the asset management team and how that fits to an organisation might be the roadblock to successful asset management practice. This presentation will discuss four models for structuring the asset management team, how work flows, training using the IPWEA courses and defining what the scope of your team could or should include, by presenting a centralised and a decentralised approach to staffing but having the same functionality attached to the positions. It also discusses options to increase the span of responsibilities, including maintenance and service planning to make more coherent asset management planning. It also offers up suggestions for a complete restructure and a radical staffing approach.

About Derek Huynh

Derek leads ADP Consulting’s Digital Innovation team, helping Councils use existing data to reduce costs and accelerate decision‑making. With a background in architecture, he combines design thinking, engineering, and technology to deliver faster, clearer, and more cost‑effective asset outcomes.

Leveraging Idle Data to Unlock Savings

Local governments hold far more useful data than they often realise. This presentation shares four Council case studies that demonstrate the significant time and cost savings being achieved across portfolios, buildings, and infrastructure. We intends to co-present with the relevant Councils - subject to our ongoing conversations confirming each of their availabilities to attend.

This presentation highlights how Councils are using the data they already hold to achieve practical, achievable wins across asset planning and decision‑making.

About Michael Mills

Michael is an accomplished asset management and operations practitioner, with over 25 of experience in a variety of maintenance, leadership and strategy roles. With a career spanning multiple sectors, Michael has been involved in the management of a diverse range of fleets including off-road Mining, Mobile Cranes, Road Logistics, Civil equipment and Heavy Haulage. Holding a mechanical trade background and a Diploma of Leadership, Michael has also completed a Leadership Development Program with Mt Eliza Business School and is currently undertaking a MBA with the University of Newcastle. With a focus on the Heavy Vehicle and asset sector, Michael’s mission is to improve safety and efficiency with the use of innovative technology and advocacy.

The Asset Manager and the AI Co-Worker

The Asset Manager and the AI Co-Worker A live, on-stage conversation between Eden and AI. What does it actually look like to work alongside AI in asset management? In this highly original, no-slides keynote, Eden Shirley (Founder of FleetGuru.ai and President of AFMA) takes the stage with “Mic”, an intelligent AI co-worker purpose-built for fleet and asset maintenance operations. Rather than presenting theory or delivering a traditional product demonstration, this session centres on a live, unscripted conversation between Eden and Mic. Together, they explore real-world asset management challenges from maintenance decision-making and cost optimisation to operational coordination and workflow execution.

This keynote offers a tangible, forward-looking view of how AI will reshape asset management, not as a distant concept, but as an embedded co-worker within everyday operations. This is not a presentation about AI. It is a live experience of the future of work.

About Meroeh Shaker

Meroeh Suesser-Shaker FIEAust CPEng NER is Manager Transport at Armidale Regional Council, responsible for the strategic planning and operational delivery of transport maintenance and capital works. Her remit includes roads, bridges, and stormwater networks that enable safe movement of people and goods across the region. (Council’s transport and stormwater portfolio includes 650 km sealed roads, 1,060 km unsealed roads, 141 bridges, and 119 km of stormwater pipes and pits, among other asset classes.)

Meroeh is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia, with over two decades leading and supporting multi-disciplinary infrastructure programs across public and private sectors. Her background includes senior leadership in local government engineering and project delivery functions, including oversight of large capital works programs and governance-driven service delivery improvements. She holds a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (2004) and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (2025).

From Stabilisation to Maturity: A Local Government Case Study in Embedding Best Practice Transport Asset Management

This presentation draws on the real-world transformation of Armidale Regional Council (NSW, Australia), responsible for a AUD $1.2 billion transport portfolio. A comprehensive Gap Analysis and Risk Assessment revealed systemic/operational weaknesses across governance, finance, workforce capability, maintenance practice, capital works planning and delivery, and long-term sustainability. Maintenance and renewal ratios were well below accepted benchmarks, backlog levels were elevated, condition data lacked consistency, and capital programs were insufficiently aligned to lifecycle need.

About Nandini Mehta

Nandini Mehta manages the AUS-SPEC the national technical specifications for local government at NATSPEC, the national building specification organisation. Nandini is a civil structural engineer with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry in Australia and overseas. She has developed various technical documentation for various infrastructure assets including roads, buildings, parks, public utilities and has expertise in the construction and maintenance of built environment. She actively participates at the IPWEA International and State Conferences, various industry forums and review of National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) Best Practice Guides, Standards, Austroads publications, IPWEA Practice Notes and IIMM. She is a Board member of the Streets Opening and Coordination Council, Presenter for Managing sealed and unsealed workshops conducted by IPWEA NSW & ACT, ex-Secretary of Metro North Regional Chapter and member of the IPWEA NSW Women in Public Works Panel.

Managing Sustainable Local Government Infrastructure Assets

Infrastructure asset management involves a comprehensive approach to ensure the longevity, efficiency and sustainability of built infrastructure and services. It requires a systematic and coordinated set of activities to deliver cost effective outcomes for the life cycle management of assets.

Australia has experienced catastrophic infrastructure failures due to natural disasters, aging assets and underinvestment in maintenance. These failures have a widespread impact on essential services and highlight the need for resilient infrastructure. Climate resilience needs to be incorporated into long term asset management and financial plans.

This presentation will highlight how AUS-SPEC national local government specification documentation can assist in the following: Life cycle management; The selection of appropriate construction practices and implementing sustainable practices, procurement strategies to achieve sustainability targets in the infrastructure asset life cycle.

About Peter McQueen

Peter McQueen is the Manager Asset Strategy at Shoalhaven City Council, with over a decade of experience across asset management, geospatial systems, and enterprise data platforms within local government. His work focuses on improving the quality, governance, and usability of asset data to support evidence‑based decision‑making, long‑term financial planning, and effective infrastructure management.

With a background spanning engineering, spatial information systems, and leadership, Peter brings a practical and collaborative approach to bridging the gap between technical systems and business outcomes. He is a strong advocate for capability uplift, mentoring teams, and embedding sustainable data and process improvements within organisations.

The Elephant Beneath the Streets: Unlocking Hidden Stormwater Knowledge

Accurate knowledge of stormwater assets underpins sound valuation, risk management and investment planning. In preparing for our most recent stormwater revaluation, Council identified significant gaps in the documented extent and condition of the network. This presentation outlines how we uncovered hidden assets, improved data confidence, and fundamentally lifted organisational understanding of our stormwater system. Through a structured review process, Council identified approximately 20km of previously unrecorded stormwater pipes. Additionally, we identified that around 20% of the network not being valued in existing asset registers.

Addressing this required more than field discovery alone. A key innovation was a large‑scale subdivision development review of more than 700 historical development areas since around 1995. Leveraging NSW Government's historical cadastre to identify the development areas, we established a link to our corporate document management system where drawings were already held but not systematically utilised. This targeted desktop investigation allowed missing assets to be identified, spatially validated and prioritised for verification, significantly reducing reliance on ad‑hoc discovery.

About Simon Harris

Simon Harris has 20 years leadership experience in infrastructure asset management. Working at Bass Coast Shire Council in Victoria, he manages a small Asset Management Planning team with shrinking funds to innovatively deal with climate changes and a growing community's needs. Their goal is to provide safe, sustainable community infrastructure for the fast-growing Bass Coast region. They have done this through using state of the art technology and predictive models to economically plan for infrastructure maintenance and funding to best use the resources available. They've pioneered integrated asset management systems that address climate change risks.

Bass Coast’s Structures Asset Management Journey

Bass Coast Shire Council manages 1,300 structures, including over 300 transport bridges & major culverts and 31 pedestrian structures serving an extensive rail trail, tracks and pathway network. Two structures are iconic heritage listed timber trestle bridges, and several have 100+ year old components. Due to the significant deterioration of many structures, Council have embarked on a fast-tracked replacement and rehabilitation program to correct the historical pattern of reactively load-limiting and closing compromised structures.

Addressing this required more than field discovery alone. A key innovation was a large‑scale subdivision development review of more than 700 historical development areas since around 1995. Leveraging NSW Government's historical cadastre to identify the development areas, we established a link to our corporate document management system where drawings were already held but not systematically utilised. This targeted desktop investigation allowed missing assets to be identified, spatially validated and prioritised for verification, significantly reducing reliance on ad‑hoc discovery.

To achieve this aim, the team at Bass Coast are implementing several strategies involving:

• Strategic Asset Planning using Data collection to inform decision making,
• Expert advice to guide optioneering,
• Managing resources to keep momentum and create efficiencies,
• Clear communication to ensure stakeholders are informed of the risks and can inform the plan, and
• Innovative use of contractors and repair treatments.

About Stephen Hegedus

Stephen Hegedus is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer and Partner at SHEPHERD, with extensive leadership experience in local government, including roles as Director of Engineering Services and Chief Executive Officer. He is a recognised industry leader in strategic and practical asset management and is a member of the IPWEA Asset Management Committee. Stephen works with Councils to improve infrastructure performance, strengthen financial sustainability, and deliver practical asset management outcomes for communities.

Advancing Asset Management: People, Places, Processes and the Technology that Connects Them

Advancing asset management is not just about better systems or more data. It is about turning practice into performance by connecting people, place-based decisions, and repeatable processes through practical technology. Drawing on real-world experience with Australian councils, this presentation will show how asset management maturity is built when capability, local context, governance, and digital tools work together.

Local governments and asset owners are under growing pressure to deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable services with constrained budgets, ageing infrastructure, and increasing climate risk. In this environment, lasting results come from strengthening the relationship between the people who make decisions, the places they serve, and the processes that guide investment, maintenance, and renewal.

From a people perspective, the presentation will explore how capability frameworks, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration help engineers, finance teams, field crews, and executives interpret data consistently and act with confidence.From a places perspective, it will examine how regional and remote councils can use fit-for-purpose tools such as GIS-based asset registers, mobile inspection systems, imagery, and sensors to respond to local service levels, environmental conditions, and resilience challenges. From a processes perspective, it will highlight the importance of practical data governance, lifecycle planning, risk-based prioritisation, and integrated workflows that turn raw data into decision-ready programs.

About Robert Scott

Rob Scott is a senior infrastructure leader in NSW local government, specialising in civil engineering, water utilities, and asset management. He’s currently the Director of Infrastructure & Engineering Services at MidCoast Council, responsible for delivering essential services across transport, water, sewer and more. Known for his direct, collaborative approach, he’s passionate about sharing knowledge to improve outcomes for communities

Breaking the Crisis Cycle in Local Roads Asset Management

Regional councils across Australia face a common challenge: managing extensive, ageing infrastructure networks with limited financial capacity while community expectations continue to rise. For MidCoast Council on the NSW Mid-North Coast, this challenge is amplified by one of the largest local road networks in the state — more than 3,600 km of roads serving 195 towns and villages across a 10,000 km² region. Following council amalgamation, growing community dissatisfaction and increasing infrastructure pressures, it became clear that traditional asset management planning alone was not enough to reset expectations or drive meaningful change. A new approach was needed to connect technical asset data, financial reality and community understanding.

This presentation shares the development of the MidCoast Road Strategy, an evidence-based framework designed to break the long-standing cycle of crisis, reaction and apathy that often characterises road infrastructure management. The strategy combined multiple sources of information, including detailed condition data collection, lifecycle deterioration modelling, analysis of customer service requests, community satisfaction data and extensive engagement with Councillors and staff.

About Anna Gurnhill

Anna is a cultural geographer. Through her work she seeks to create meaningful connections between people and places. She's passionate about human and planetary health, and is a strong advocate for active living, sustainability and spending time in nature. Anna has a background in active transport, bicycle tourism and cultural geography. She has worked at all levels of government and in the private sector.

Healthy Active by Design - Walkshop

The Heart Foundation’s Healthy Active by Design program embeds public health into built environment outcomes.

The digital toolkit translates evidence into practical guidance. It can help position asset management within the context of liveable local neighbourhoods, to align with other organisational objectives including:

• Community health and wellbeing
• Cultural safety and inclusivity
• Play spaces and green spaces
• Social connection and community building
• Heat mitigation and cooling strategies
• Air quality and pollution reduction
• Urban sustainability and resilience
• Green and blue infrastructure
• Healthy active ageing

This interactive Walkshop is an opportunity to observe and discuss streetscape walkability through practical observation and user perspective. Participants will be able to apply learnings with community, colleagues and decision makers. The Walkshop will identify the cross-sector approach needed to design and deliver healthy built environments and to manage assets in ways that contribute to liveability. It will explore ways to break silos and achieve shared measures of success. The Walkshop will commence at the conference venue. An overview will be provided, including introduction to Healthy Active by Design. These principles will guide the Walkshop content. A 3-3.5km route will showcase a range of walkability features.

About Lisa Ippolito

Lisa is the AI Enablement lead at Whitehorse City Council, where she’s focused on making local government work smarter, faster, and more purposefully. With deep expertise in process improvement and digital transformation, she’s now applying that same mindset to the possibilities of AI.

The State of AI in Local Government: 2026 Benchmark Insights

Everyone is talking about AI, but what’s actually happening inside council workplaces right now? For the first time, we now have real evidence. This session reveals the inaugural sector wide benchmark of AI adoption, drawn from more than 2,500 staff across 22 Victorian councils. We’ll unpack what the data really shows: which tools staff are using in their day to day work, where capability is accelerating, where the risks are emerging, and the system wide trends that will shape the next wave of local government AI maturity. You’ll hear what staff say they need, what leaders are prioritising, and the practical insights every council can take back to inform their next steps.

About Devon Wilson

Devon Wilson has been the Coordinator of Asset Systems for Noosa Council since 2021, leading the development and implementation of the asset management framework. This includes the Strategic Asset Management Plan, Asset Management Plans and undertaking Strategic Asset Modelling. Her team also manages the Enterprise Asset Management System (system functionality and the Asset Register) and GIS data. She is passionate about data quality, metadata and standards. Her background in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and mobile computing has led to a keen interest in the use of technology, particularly AI, to improve our knowledge of our assets and to inform decision-making.

The 90-Second Defect: AI Didn't Come to the Boardroom. It Came to the Asset.

The asset management industry has spent three years debating what AI could do. Noosa Shire Council and TechnologyOne decided to find out. In May 2026, they embedded AI directly into three points where asset management actually breaks down — the defect log, the crew route, and the decision the asset manager has to make before Thursday's committee meeting. No proofs of concept. Real crews, real assets, real domains, real measurement. Before a single feature was switched on at the Council, they built a pre/post benefits framework designed to withstand justification and defensibility scrutiny. This session presents what the data showed — the gains, the surprises, and the parts that didn't go to plan.

About Gladstone Brohier

Gladstone is the General Manager, Product for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) at TechnologyOne, Australia's largest locally headquartered enterprise software company. He leads the product strategy and roadmap for a solution that covers all business functions of asset management — operational, tactical, and strategic — within a single, natively integrated ERP platform purpose-built for Local Government, Asset-Intensive industries, State & Federal Government, and Infrastructure. With deep experience across the full asset management lifecycle, Gladstone works closely with public sector organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to align technology capability with strategic asset management outcomes. His work spans competitive positioning, capability development, and the translation of complex infrastructure challenges into practical, value-driven product solutions.

The 90-Second Defect: AI Didn't Come to the Boardroom. It Came to the Asset.

The asset management industry has spent three years debating what AI could do. Noosa Shire Council and TechnologyOne decided to find out. In May 2026, they embedded AI directly into three points where asset management actually breaks down — the defect log, the crew route, and the decision the asset manager has to make before Thursday's committee meeting. No proofs of concept. Real crews, real assets, real domains, real measurement. Before a single feature was switched on at the Council, they built a pre/post benefits framework designed to withstand justification and defensibility scrutiny. This session presents what the data showed — the gains, the surprises, and the parts that didn't go to plan.

About Muhammad Fahad Khan

Fahad Khan is a Strategic Asset Management Consultant at Siemens with extensive experience supporting asset‑intensive organisations across aviation, transport, utilities, and local government. His work focuses on enabling risk‑informed investment decisions by improving the quality, structure, and usability of asset data. Fahad specialises in bridging the gap between asset registers, condition and performance data, lifecycle modelling, and risk‑based treatment planning, helping organisations move from compliance‑driven practices to insight‑led, decision‑grade outcomes. He has delivered and supported initiatives spanning enterprise asset data standardisation, lifecycle and renewal modelling, capital prioritisation, and long‑term financial planning.

Operationalising AI in Lifecycle Planning: Data Alignment, Treatment Logic, and Validation

Asset intensive organisations collect growing volumes of condition, inspection, and operational data, yet many struggle to convert it into timely, risk informed treatment decisions. Fragmented, inconsistent and misaligned information as well as the complexities of lifecycle analysis often leads to organisations relying on tacit judgement rather than evidence based transparent decisions. This abstract presents a platform-agnostic framework for the deployment of AI in targeted areas of the lifecycle management process. The author aims to showcase the business efficiency and improved asset strategy opportunities that exist with AI deployment. The framework focuses on three functions: (1) data discovery and alignment, (2) lifecycle logic and trigger definition, and (3) validation and assurance. Four case studies demonstrate practical application, including AI-assisted maintenance regime definition aligned to relevant Standards.

About Lauren Russell

Lauren is a Strategic Asset Management Consultant for Siemens, bringing over seven years' experience within strategic asset and infrastructure management experience across all levels of government and private sector. Lauren has a particular passion for health infrastructure, innovative digital solutions, monitoring functions and enjoys collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to help identify opportunities where asset management can make a measurable impact. Now based in Melbourne, Lauren's passion for health infrastructure means she has been intimately involved in many complex and innovative programmes of work, including the development of organisational policies, strategic plans and digital tools to better manage Aotearoa New Zealand's NZD$38 billion worth of health assets. She has since worked across a number of different sectors and enjoys the variety.

Paper Cuts to Pixel Perfect: The Digital Evolution of Asset Management Plans

Asset management plans (AMP) are a paper-based product in what is quickly becoming a world with an insatiable appetite for digital solutions. The International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM) emphasises that asset management plans should outline an organisation's current understanding of service requirements and network capability to support evidence-based decision-making. Yet, many organisations treat AMPs as 'set and forget' paper documents, quickly outdated and underutilised, directly contradicting the foundational asset management principle of maximising value. This presentation invites you on a transformative journey, demonstrating the potential of shifting from cumbersome paper trails to dynamic, digital asset management plans (DAMPs). We will explore how embracing a digital approach not only 'ticks the box' of having a plan but also its ability to transform data into usable, transparent information, empowering your organisation to make smarter, data-driven decisions that are easy to refresh as part of your review cycle.

About James Carroll

James Carroll is undertaking UNSW Canberra–led research into interaction-driven deterioration modelling and renewal intelligence, under the supervision of Dr Keith Joiner. His work examines how a renewal intelligence framework can support long-term asset renewal decisions by improving visibility of uncertainty and interaction effects across the asset lifecycle. He has delivered decision-support and analytical frameworks across transport, mining and public-sector environments, including recent work supporting Transport for NSW investment appraisal in complex, uncertainty-driven contexts. His work does not assume the use of specific tools; rather, it focuses on a decision framework that can be applied over existing analytical and asset management practices, with an emphasis on governance-aligned application that complements established planning and assurance approaches rather than introducing prescriptive tools or methodologies.

Networks Don't Fail all at Once - They Deteriorate Whilst Waiting

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) operates in a highly complex environment where investment decisions must contend with uncertainty, interdependencies, and operational variability across rail systems. Conventional evaluation approaches—including deterministic modelling, point-estimate analysis, and expert judgement—often struggle to adequately represent these dynamics in complex, interacting systems. This paper explores the application of structured experimentation principles to support more robust decision-making in such contexts. Using representative rail investment scenarios, it illustrates how systematic exploration of interacting factors can improve understanding of system behaviour and sensitivity without increasing model complexity or fragility. While the primary focus is on rail investment, the approach is framed generically and is applicable to other complex engineered and digital systems where configuration choices and interactions materially influence outcomes. The intent is not to prescribe a specific modelling technique, but to examine how disciplined experimentation can complement existing analytical practices and strengthen confidence in decisions made under uncertainty. This work forms part of ongoing research at UNSW Canberra under the supervision of Dr Keith Joiner, examining how structured analytical approaches can be applied across transport and digital system environments to support more consistent and defensible governance. AI tools may be used to assist with drafting and refinement; all analysis, design decisions, and conclusions remain the author's.

About Jon Charles

Jon has over thirty years experience encompassing government, small business, medium business, and corporate enterprise in a variety of roles. Each role required the skills of management, problem analysis, requirement analysis and solutions development, communicating with politicians, executives, managers, and operational personnel.

One Page AMPs

Asset Management Plans are usually 5 to 20 pages in length and often collect more time on the shelf than in the hands of our teams. Is this the best outcome for an AMP? Or would be see a greater benefit if our team referred to the AMP every day and on every job? Is it possible to have all the prime information on one page? Yes, it may need to be a A3 sheet, but the information we need to manage our asset can be contained on one page. Does it replace the AMP? No, but the improvement in asset management outcomes are better. Take the scenario of a crew evaluating a section of road. There are a number of issues. The Levels of Service you have determined in your AMP are mostly front of mind and the crew are making a determination. The decision that the segment needs a rehabilitation. This goes forward and programmed into your capital program. Consider if the team had picked up all aspects of your Levels of Service. The assessment could have been that the road was in a better state than assessed when all elements considered. They have pulled out the One Page AMP, made the assessment and a reseal will extend the life of the segment sufficiently until the next planned rehabilitation. Your capital budget has just been reduced for this job by up to 75%. And you remain on your planned program.

About Craig Young

Craig is passionate about asset management and working with the front line operational teams to improve efficiency without sacrificing customer service. I have worked successfully in both front line and back office roles and strive to combine these areas for maximum benefit for the community.

One Page AMPs

Asset Management Plans are usually 5 to 20 pages in length and often collect more time on the shelf than in the hands of our teams. Is this the best outcome for an AMP? Or would be see a greater benefit if our team referred to the AMP every day and on every job? Is it possible to have all the prime information on one page? Yes, it may need to be a A3 sheet, but the information we need to manage our asset can be contained on one page. Does it replace the AMP? No, but the improvement in asset management outcomes are better. Take the scenario of a crew evaluating a section of road. There are a number of issues. The Levels of Service you have determined in your AMP are mostly front of mind and the crew are making a determination. The decision that the segment needs a rehabilitation. This goes forward and programmed into your capital program. Consider if the team had picked up all aspects of your Levels of Service. The assessment could have been that the road was in a better state than assessed when all elements considered. They have pulled out the One Page AMP, made the assessment and a reseal will extend the life of the segment sufficiently until the next planned rehabilitation. Your capital budget has just been reduced for this job by up to 75%. And you remain on your planned program.

About Lynnette Terrett

Lynnette Terrett is a founding Director of RapidMap, bringing over 34 years of expertise in advancing spatial technology solutions to capture asset data to ensure Infrastructure owners have accurate information they can trust to support asset management activities and decision-making processes. Renowned for pioneering GPS/GNSS into the Australian market with computer integration since the early 1990s, she has been instrumental in transforming field surveying practices to ensure quality, speed and accuracy in asset data collection by leveraging advanced geospatial technologies. Following 911 in the USA, Lyn was the Director of Spatial Technologies for the National Geographic-Maps division, to underpin Homeland Security, Critical Infrastructure, Emergency and the Intelligence sectors with rapid mapping solutions developed by RapidMap. Under her leadership, RapidMap has launched innovative spatial technology products, applications, and GIS services to ensure asset registers, ERPs, and EAMS and now AI have quality data to empower field and office users.

AI Assisted Operations - the future of the public works profession

AI Assisted Operations - the future of the public works profession is focused on how to greatly increase productivity by managing resources differently in this age of AI. It will cover the various interests related to Digital transformation and data-driven decision-making, Capability and workforce development, Technology, AI, and Asset Intelligence and Governance, policy, and strategic planning. A central theme will be how to build in accuracy, trust, and data security without AI agent sprawl

About Karl Nesbitt

Karl Nesbitt has over 30 years' experience in the horticulture, parks and open spaces, community facilities and customer service sectors. He has been involved in contract management, business development and quality assurance programs such as Yardstick, and seeks to build capability, develop partnerships and deliver high quality recreation experiences. Karl has also been involved in environmental landscape architecture, development of green space frameworks, asset renewals and open space management. His roles have encompassed parks, recreational facilities, horticulture and turf management, and cemeteries; he has delivered local and international webinars to support the Cemeteries and Parks industry and managed the New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective.

Managing Green Asset Infrastructure Seems Straightforward, Doesn't It?

Across communities, expectations for high-quality green infrastructure continue to grow—placing increasing pressure on organisations to deliver, maintain, and adapt assets in the face of evolving service demands and constrained resources. However, many face significant challenges due to fragmented asset knowledge, unclear service levels, and limited visibility of long-term costs and risks. This presentation explores how developing a robust, structured asset hierarchy—aligned to service levels, asset types, quality standards and technical service levels —can transform the way green infrastructure is understood and managed. By strengthening the connection between asset data and operational outcomes, organisations can improve planning accuracy, enhance decision-making, and better respond to changing community expectations. Drawing on practical insights and real-world experience, this session will highlight the critical role of data clarity in identifying risks, optimising investment, and enabling agile responses to funding shifts or service level changes. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how improved asset intelligence can unlock more confident, evidence-based management of green infrastructure networks. Join us as we unpack the challenges, share lessons learned, and outline a pathway to more resilient, transparent, and future-ready green infrastructure management.

About Nafizul Akash

Akash is the Team Leader Asset Management at Wollondilly Shire Council, with over 13 years of experience in local government across both Wollondilly and Parkes Shire Council. He leads the development and delivery of asset management strategies, long-term financial planning, and capital works programming to support sustainable infrastructure outcomes. Akash holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with a Diploma in Engineering Practice from the University of Technology Sydney. His expertise spans asset management, pavement management, and forward planning of infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

Using Asset Health to Turn Data into Decisions

Following its inclusion in the Audit Office of New South Wales performance audit, Wollondilly Shire Council confronted a familiar but rarely articulated reality, the cost to sustainably maintain its infrastructure exceeded available funding, yet this gap was not clearly understood at the decision making level. At the same time, a newly elected Council in September 2024 was tasked with adopting a resourcing and asset management strategy without a clear, consistent way to interpret asset data, compare priorities across asset classes, or understand the consequences of underinvestment. Traditional approaches weren’t failing due to lack of data, but because they failed to translate complexity into decisions. In response, Council introduced scenario-based modelling and a universal “% asset health” KPI, a single metric applied across all asset classes to quantify performance, decline, and risk. For the first time, decision-makers could clearly see the impact of funding choices; what could be sustained, what would deteriorate, the level of risk being accepted and the projected decline in asset health across asset classes under current funding levels. This approach reframed asset management from a technical function into a strategic decision-making tool. Trade-offs became explicit, risk became visible, and decisions could no longer be deferred behind complexity. This presentation shares how audit pressure, organisational change, and a deliberate shift to data storytelling were used to challenge assumptions, confront funding realities, and enable elected officials to make informed choices

About Cam Martin

Cam Martin was first exposed to "real" leadership in his early twenties as a member of the Australian Defence Force, where his 15-year military career included multiple overseas deployments. A plumber by trade, his move into Asset Management came about almost by accident, and he has since become a seasoned senior leader known for getting results rather than chasing self-promotion. Cam rates situational awareness and social intelligence as the most important skills in the industry, and brings a refreshing, no-nonsense energy to the stage — a welcome departure from the painfully boring presentations many delegates have sat through in the past.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day, But You've Got Me Starting in Pompeii

This session shares Cam's personal journey into local government, and Cessnock City Council's journey into "real" Asset Management, with real outcomes. Cam discusses the importance of building relationships with senior executives and how to influence their decision-making, delivered in a presentation style that's engaging, funny and empathetic. Having spent three and a half years in the LG industry, Cam brings a left-field perspective that delegates describe as refreshing, entertaining and insightful, while questioning why some traditional structures still operate in their current form. At the heart of his message is a simple idea: people are the difference, and building, supporting and growing your team — both personally and professionally — is the real sustainability factor in Asset Management.

About Keith Henry

With a career spanning over 36 years within the lighting industry, Keith Henry joined CU Phosco in February 2023 as General Manager – Lighting and Telecommunications. In April 2026, Keith was promoted to Global Head of Telecommunications, a role in addition to his management of the CU Phosco presence in Australia. In line with the company's plans to expand overseas with a physical entity in Australia, where the company's founder CEO originated from, Keith set up the business from what had previously been managed as a partnership model.

From Streetlight to Smart Asset: Unlocking Commercial and Connectivity Potential in Urban Infrastructure

As local authorities face increasing financial pressures and ambitious sustainability goals, the humble streetlight is evolving into a powerful, revenue-generating urban asset. This paper explores how advances in policy, planning, and innovation are enabling councils to unlock new revenue streams, maximise asset value, and deliver practical solutions through the intelligent evolution of their lighting infrastructure. From hosting EV charge points and 5G small cells to deploying sensors and other connected technologies, opportunities now extend far beyond illumination. Following recent legislative changes around rooftop and street-level communications infrastructure, we'll share insights from real-world Connected Urban installations that show how multi-functional smart poles are already enabling network densification, supporting smarter mobility, and creating new commercial models for asset owners.

About Mike Nelson

Mike Nelson is the Manager Infrastructure Engineering at Wollondilly Shire Council, with more than 30 years' experience in local government across infrastructure planning, engineering, asset management and strategic transport. He leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for infrastructure engineering, development engineering and asset management, with a strong focus on integrating technical evidence into strategic decision-making. Mike has championed a renewed approach to asset management at Wollondilly, strengthening the connection between asset health, levels of service, long-term financial planning and elected member engagement. He is passionate about making complex infrastructure and asset management concepts accessible, enabling better investment decisions and delivering sustainable community outcomes.

Using Asset Health to Turn Data into Decisions

Following its inclusion in the Audit Office of New South Wales performance audit, Wollondilly Shire Council confronted a familiar but rarely articulated reality, the cost to sustainably maintain its infrastructure exceeded available funding, yet this gap was not clearly understood at the decision making level. At the same time, a newly elected Council in September 2024 was tasked with adopting a resourcing and asset management strategy without a clear, consistent way to interpret asset data, compare priorities across asset classes, or understand the consequences of underinvestment. Traditional approaches weren’t failing due to lack of data, but because they failed to translate complexity into decisions. In response, Council introduced scenario-based modelling and a universal “% asset health” KPI, a single metric applied across all asset classes to quantify performance, decline, and risk. For the first time, decision-makers could clearly see the impact of funding choices; what could be sustained, what would deteriorate, the level of risk being accepted and the projected decline in asset health across asset classes under current funding levels. This approach reframed asset management from a technical function into a strategic decision-making tool. Trade-offs became explicit, risk became visible, and decisions could no longer be deferred behind complexity. This presentation shares how audit pressure, organisational change, and a deliberate shift to data storytelling were used to challenge assumptions, confront funding realities, and enable elected officials to make informed choices