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Greater Victoria councils earn provincial awards in infrastructure, climate action

UBCM highlights Oak Bay’s Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan
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Victoria, Saanich, West Vancouver, Kamloops, the Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation, and the First Nations Leadership Council were all recognized for outstanding community leadership in climate action during the annual Climate & Energy Action Awards presented at the Union of BC Municipalities Convention. (Courtesy UBCM)

Oak Bay, Victoria and Saanich were among municipalities recognized during the 2022 Community Excellence Awards at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention.

Announced Sept. 14, Oak Bay earned an Award for Excellence in Asset Management for its Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan completed last year.

“Council, staff, and our taxpayers have worked diligently to address the historic underfunding of Oak Bay’s infrastructure this term. The plan provides council and the public with clear data which will help ensure the district can continue to expand the pace of infrastructure renewal,” Mayor Kevin Murdoch said in a statement.

The Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan provides a path to address the community’s water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and road assets, many of which are past their recommended useful life with many other assets well through their recommended useful life and due for replacement imminently.

The plan forecasts recommended infrastructure spending for the next 50 to 100 years, recommends funding levels required to support long-term infrastructure replacement, and develops different options to address the forecasted funding gap. Asset Management BC also endorsed the district’s process of creating the plan as a step to achieving financial sustainability.

Find the plan online at oakbay.ca/sirp.

RELATED: Debt a near certainty as Oak Bay faces infrastructure shortfall

The District of Saanich and the City of Victoria earned Climate & Energy Action Awards in the Community Planning & Development category.

The award was presented for Greater Victoria District 2030, which is involving the owners/managers of 37 local commercial buildings who are aiming to meet new targets for energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Victoria also won in the corporate operations category for its Green Fleet Plan which will involve electrifying many of its 400 municipal vehicles over the next nine years in order to achieve a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with its fleet.

RELATED: Victoria looks to green up fleet by replacing 140 vehicles with electric options by 2030

c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca


 

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