Civil infrastructure refers to the physical structures built and managed by the City that are essential to our transport system — including roads, footpaths, drains, and other public assets.

Asset management is the way we plan, maintain, and extend the life of our civil infrastructure. It ensures these assets continue to deliver safe, reliable services to the community — now and into the future.

Key considerations in asset management include:

• Financial and economic impacts

• Engineering and design principles
• Maintenance and renewal practices
• End-of-life replacement planning

The goal is to provide the required level of service in the most efficient and sustainable way over each asset’s life cycle.

Balancing needs and resources

Delivering reliable infrastructure with limited financial and human resources is one of our greatest challenges. When making decisions about asset investment, we consider:

• Current and future community needs
• The condition and performance of existing assets
• Maintenance requirements and long-term affordability
• The impact on public safety, with priority given to works that offer the greatest safety improvements

Each asset has a unique life cycle, meaning different types of work are required at different stages — from routine maintenance to full replacement.

Community expectations

While the appearance of an asset may change over time, this does not necessarily affect its ability to function safely and effectively. Our maintenance decisions are guided by the defect intervention levels set out in the City’s Road Management Plan (RMP). The focus is on ensuring assets remain safe and serviceable, rather than restoring them to their original appearance.

We value community input in shaping how we manage and maintain public infrastructure. Every four years, we review our:

• Municipal Road Management Plan and invite our community to Have Your Say
• Ten-year Asset Plan and invite our community to Have Your Say
  
  

Asset maintenance and renewal

Maintenance plays a vital role in keeping Greater Geelong’s transport network reliable, safe, and operating smoothly. A well-maintained network supports safe travel for all road users — including drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Our maintenance program is guided by a strategic approach that considers:

• The life cycle of each asset
• Ongoing maintenance costs and available budgets
• The condition of nearby infrastructure
• Planned upgrades or changes to the transport network
• Coordination with major works and programs across the region

This strategic approach helps us deliver consistent service while making the best use of available resources.

Types of maintenance

We deliver three key types of maintenance to maximise and extend the life of our roads, paths, and drainage infrastructure:

• Maintenance: Routine maintenance addresses minor defects before they become major issues. These works are guided by defect intervention levels outlined in our Road Management Plan (RMP). Typical activities include repairing potholes, cleaning gutters and drains, replacing or repairing damaged signs, clearing stormwater obstructions, and resurfacing roads and paths. Routine maintenance ensures assets remain safe and functional throughout their expected life cycle.
• Asset (service level) preservation: When it becomes unsustainable to maintain an asset in its current condition, we undertake preservation works to establish a maintainable level of service. These works allow the asset to continue performing its primary function without full replacement.
• Renewal: Renewal involves the major repair or replacement of civil infrastructure — typically on a like-for-like basis. This may include resurfacing or resealing roads, relining or rehabilitating drains, and reconstructing footpaths or kerbs. Renewal is usually a planned intervention based on asset condition assessments but may also be reactive in response to severe defects or failures.