As an infrastructure decision-maker – whether you are on the Board, are a CEO, other executive, a City Council member – your role is to take the lead in providing and maintaining the infrastructure our communities must have to function, the physical systems needed for people to lead productive and comfortable lives.

Such a role has responsibilities well beyond the short term, to care for what’s required now and into the future. Not so much an ‘owner’: these infrastructure asset systems belong to the community and shareholders, rather than us. More as stewards, looking after the assets on behalf of everyone.

We have all heard the argument that delivering public services through infrastructure is easy, compared to being an entrepreneur and ‘creating something new’. But running essential infrastructure is complex, and there are new challenges. We cannot afford to get it wrong.

However, we can do what is needed if we make use of good practice Asset Management.