LGAM Knowledge Base

I thought I'd nominate a few long term goals for the site, to help people using it understand how I'd like to see it develop into the future. Comments on my grandiose vision are more than welcome!

1. To compile a comprehensive encyclopedia like repository of knowledge about all aspects of Council operations & activities.

2. To have nearly every person in every Council office building across Australia refer to the site on a daily basis, and at least a few officers at every Council contributing information to the site regularly.

3. To have groups of local government employees using the site regularly to collaborate on a wide range of projects.

4. To have groups in other countries & industries using the site as a model for similar sites.

Hi Wayne,
The goals you list for this site are excellent! I started working in a local council about 18 months ago and constantly thought - while I was struggling to understand the world of infrastructure - that it would be great to have a kind of encyclopedia where any newbie could quickly find answers to questions like : what is a gravity or rising main? When does a water pipe become a water main or a service pipe? Are there common definitions or does each council have its own?

It seems that I'll have to do a bit of a brain dump for this site to fulfill at least this basic and very valuable goal of being a quick reference guide.

I am currently studying civil engineering as well, so time is a bit limited, but it should not take long to add one or two items a week to get this moving.

I'll be back!

Thanks very much for the positive feedback "Singing Platypus". I'd be rapt if you are able to add one or two items a week. If everyone who visited the site did the same, it would be growing at a huge rate, and would be an even better resource for people new to local government.

I'm interested to hear if you found out about the site through work or through your studies. I have contacted a few universities about the site, because I thought it might be a good resource for students. It sounds like you agree.

One of our maintenance planners here at Bundaberg has done a fair bit of work researching definitions for water & sewerage assets. I will add pages about them today or in the near future.

Lastly, I've just thought of a new goal. A lot of Councils have Induction Manuals & Sessions for new employees. I think it would be great if Councils could mention this site in their Induction Manuals. I think it is a good resource for everyone no matter how long they have been working in local government, but as you have intimated it is probably the person who has just joined a Council that is going to benefit the most.

Regards, Wayne.