Winnipeg, MB – Today, the City of Winnipeg released its 2018 State of the Infrastructure Report, which provides detailed information about the City’s infrastructure as a whole, including the state of existing assets, the assignment of value to needed improvements on existing and future assets, and the remaining service life of current assets. This is the first time the City has been able to strategically categorize its assets and grade their physical conditions.
The City’s current asset inventory used to deliver services to residents has a replacement value of approximately $35 billion, and an overall condition grade of B-. It also identifies a $3 billion improvement in the infrastructure deficit compared to that reported in 2009. Converted to 2018 dollars, the 2009 infrastructure deficit equates to approximately $9.9 billion, compared to the approximately $6.9 billion infrastructure deficit reported this year.
Progress to reduce the infrastructure deficit from 2009 to 2018 may be attributed to a number of variables including allocating $2.1 billion more to infrastructure investments than originally planned from 2009-2017, successfully leveraging federal and provincial funding for major capital projects, and dedicating an annual 2% property tax increase to improve the condition of roads.
“The State of the Infrastructure Report and City Asset Management Plan are industry-leading documents providing the most comprehensive information on the city’s infrastructure ever assembled in the history of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “These documents will help guide Council decision making on infrastructure investment, and represent a fundamental resource for Council, the public service, residents, as well as government and industry partners in understanding the state of our city’s existing infrastructure and the plan to manage $35 billion in city-owned assets.”
In 2015, Council approved the City’s Asset Management Policy, making asset management a core business function. The adoption of the policy also established the framework for infrastructure stewardship through comprehensive asset management plans.
In 2018, the City completed its City Asset Management Plan, which applied a consistent approach to the collection and analysis of data regarding City-owned assets across all civic departments. The 2018 State of the Infrastructure Report is a high-level summary of the detailed findings of the City Asset Management Plan.
“The State of the Infrastructure Report is a game-changer for Winnipeg when it comes to its infrastructure,” said Councillor Mike Pagtakhan, Council Liaison for Project Management. “The City faces multiple, competing spending priorities, and the information contained in the report will help ensure we continue to make strategic, well-timed infrastructure investments.”
For more information, please see: City of Winnipeg - Infrastructure Planning Office.