Case Study: Melton City Council achieves $40M in savings and improved community service levels with Brightly Software

Using strategic asset management to inform long-term financial planning

Melton City Council, a fast-growing municipality in Victoria with an infrastructure asset base valued at over AUD $2.7 billion and planned annual additions of about $220 million, faced a rising asset backlog and falling community satisfaction. With population growth projected from 185,500 to 264,000 in the next two decades and new legislative requirements for 10-year asset plans, the Council needed to shift from budget-driven planning to strategic asset management to preserve asset health and meet future demand.

Partnering with Brightly, the Council developed a data‑driven 10‑year Asset Management Plan linked to its long‑term financial plan, using a service‑level framework, lifecycle modelling, intervention criteria and scenario analysis to optimise renewals and trade-offs. The new approach delivered immediate financial benefits — about $2.5M saved annually in roads and estimated portfolio savings up to $4M per year (roughly $40M over 10 years), reduced asset degradation and improved service levels and community satisfaction.

Melton City Council

Sam Romaszko

Manager Engineering Services