The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), LGA South Australia and project partners have announced the launch of the Green Infrastructure Management Manual.
Green infrastructure assets provide essential, cost effective, sustainable, climate-resilient ecosystem services for the land, water and coast. These services include the stabilisation of slopes and coastal foreshore, air and water quality improvement, flood mitigation, water storage, urban shading and cooling, biodiversity, enhanced human wellbeing and many more.
However, green infrastructure has not traditionally been included in asset and financial management plans – an omission that has often led to its neglect and degradation, and subsequent waste of the initial investment.
Green Adelaide Presiding Member, Professor Chris Daniels said the development of the manual was a significant step in having the value of nature in South Australian cities understood and protected.
“Green Adelaide is proud to have contributed to the development of the world’s first Green Infrastructure Management Manual,” said Prof Daniels.
“Our vision is for a cooler, greener, wilder Adelaide – and critical to that is building real appreciation for green infrastructure and the value that it provides”.
SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Emily Bourke said the release of the manual was a significant step forward for how we plan, protect and invest in natural assets.
“Green infrastructure delivers essential, cost effective and climate resilient services and should be treated as core infrastructure alongside roads and pipes,” she said.
The Minister said the work complements the State Government’s Urban Greening Strategy released earlier this year which aims to expand Adelaide’s tree canopy, cool the city, and enhance biodiversity to create a more liveable city.
“With South Australia’s population expected to grow by 670,000 people by 2050, it’s more important than ever that we invest in our green spaces and infrastructure.”
The 270-page Green Infrastructure Management Manual provides comprehensive content on: definitions; green infrastructure services; the asset and financial management process for green infrastructure; and details for 24 green infrastructure assets including images, drawings and details on relative risks, costs, values, lifecycle activities, and demand management.
The Manual is supported by a simple framework for including green infrastructure into asset management planning and plans, case studies, tools, summary tables and extensive links to additional sources of information.
It aligns with all relevant ISO standards, is applicable globally, and will empower asset stewards to confidently integrate nature-based green infrastructure into their financial and asset management plans.
“By including green infrastructure into mainstream asset management planning and plans, asset stewards can enhance the services they can provide, ensure their care is effectively resourced and funded throughout their lifecycle, build climate resilience, and reduce environmental impacts,” said LGA South Australia President, Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross.
“Local councils are leading climate action to adapt, innovate and build resilience in their communities.
“Nature-based infrastructure like street trees, community gardens and urban forests are critical for supporting biodiversity, reducing urban
heat, cutting emissions and strengthening the liveability of our streets and neighbourhoods.
“This world-first management manual will help councils integrate living green infrastructure into their asset planning and deliver stronger local environmental outcomes,” she said.
The Manual was developed with substantial stakeholder input and peer review and is written in accessible language and designed to meet the needs of a range of asset stewards including elected officials, CEOs, asset and financial managers, engineers, landscape designers, consultants, arborists and ecologists.
The Green Infrastructure Management Manual is free and can be downloaded from the IPWEA website https://www.ipwea.org/resourcesnew/bookshop/gimm or the LGA South Australia website: https://www.lga.sa.gov.au/members/services/research-and-publications/library/2024/asset-management-for-green-infrastructure.
The Asset Management for Green Infrastructure project is a collaboration between the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), South Australian Coastal Councils Alliance (SACCA), Water Sensitive SA (WSSA), the Landscape Foundation Australia (LFA), Arboriculture Australia, Living Shorelines Australia, Green Adelaide and the Australasian Green Infrastructure Network and South Australian Councils. The project has been funded by IPWEA, project partners and the Local Government Research and Development Scheme administered by LGA South Australia.
