Facility Management: A Community Responsibility
CPR Group consultants get asked, "Why?"
Why is facility management necessary? Why do community lessees need to understand and discuss it?
The answer is quite straightforward: Responsibility.
Community, sport and recreation organisations, often led entirely by volunteers, manage hundreds of millions of dollars worth of community infrastructure under Councils’ community tenure frameworks. Some Councils share the responsibility, handling the more significant infrastructure upgrades and repairs, while organisations leasing Council assets manage activity-related infrastructure maintenance. In other cases, community lessees are responsible for all repairs, maintenance, upgrades and renewals.
Volunteer organisations play a pivotal role in ensuring access to community infrastructure. Increasingly, Councils across Australia are tightening the reins, expecting higher facility management compliance from these community groups. This compliance includes steps like obtaining permission for construction or building works, as well as maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the premises.
The Real Risks of Poor Facility Management
What happens if lessees neglect good facility management or get it wrong?
We have first hand experience with community-operated facilities that have been neglected. Over the years we have seen premises that are literally falling apart. Neglect and poor management, like leaving blocked showers, dirty dishes and cluttered canteens for an entire off-season, can lead to termite and other pest infestations - not to mention terrible aesthetics. This disarray is precisely what must be avoided for facility longevity.
Poor management can quickly transform spaces into dumping grounds for unmanageable items. Assets can get lost, storage spaces and canteens get filled with garbage and facilities with specific purposes such as change rooms or toilet blocks become misused for storage, making these areas unable to be used effectively.
Our team has also witnessed first-hand clubhouses with sensitive information exposed, making their assets vulnerable and potentially leaving committees at risk of legal disputes.
The need for effective facility management within community organisations is crucial not only to protect the substantial investments made into these community assets by local Councils, but also to ensure these facilities are safe, clean and fit-for-purpose.
Facility management is not a "nice-to-have"; it's a "must-have". Councils are right to expect their community tenants to value the spaces they lease appropriately and meet the requirements of their tenure instruments. This is why we need to continue having these discussions and improving knowledge on facility management.
Are you struggling with facility management? Do you need expert guidance?
Contact us today for your facility management or multi-use facility. For Councils and those in charge of facility management seeking a trustworthy partner, we have proven and effective strategies to help guide you.
Well-managed facilities are the backbone of a thriving community, and CPR Group's driving force is to create stronger communities.
Contact CPR Group on 1800 100 204 or email us at info@cprgroup.com.au
