As part of Council's Financial Sustainability project to minimise expenditure and generate income, fleet and mechanical services has been among several departments to undertake an internal service review.
Analysis of the number, requirement and use of the fleet has been performed in the initial phase of the review to identify potential efficiency improvements.
Director City Services, Carey McIntyre said Council owned, leased and operated a large fleet of plant and motor vehicles to service the community and maintain public infrastructure.
"Council is responsible for a vast fleet of vehicles that enables the works and services that we and emergency services provide across the city. Every single vehicle is present and accounted. None have gone missing," said Mr McIntyre.
"It is intended that through this comprehensive audit and review process that we improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our fleet management service and strive for a best practice fleet management model," he said.
Council has 3,074 plant and fleet in its portfolio, including 1,792 small plant vehicles (push mowers, brushcutters, small trailers), 265 light commercial vehicles and 205 trailers.
The fleet also includes 128 Rural Fire Service vehicles, 159 trucks, 79 heavy plant vehicles (graders, rollers, loaders, tractors, backhoes, excavators) and 86 mowers.
Most of the fleet is located at Bomaderry, Flinders, Ulladulla and Woollamia depots and used for road repair and construction, road sweeping, landscaping and lawnmowing, ranger duties, public amenities cleaning, bereavement services, waste tipping, Shoalhaven Water services and much more.
There are also 146 lease-back passenger vehicles that are paid for through a salary deduction arrangement with employees as part of a salary package to some staff. All vehicles are used and accounted for.
The recommendations of the report are currently being reviewed and opportunities for savings will be a focus with improvements to be rolled out in line with effective fleet management.
