Generic Treatment Node (Costing)

The primary costing screen for the generic treatment node does not provide any default values or algorithms to estimate the life cycle, cost elements or renewal period. All of these variables in the life cycle cost analysis must be entered manually. Manual estimates need to be obtained from local information or the literature (e.g. Taylor, 2005b for structural measures or Taylor and Wong, 2002 for non-structural measures).

The generic treatment node in music allows the life cycle cost and/or equivalent annual payment to be simply calculated for non-structural stormwater management measures (e.g. educational / participation programs, street sweeping, regulatory measures, illicit discharge elimination programs, etc.). For these types of measures:

The life cycle is the functional life of the stormwater management measure (in years). For example, an intensive residential lawn and garden education / participation program may run for five years.

The total acquisition cost is the cost of defining the need for the measure (e.g. preliminary feasibility / scoping studies), all design costs and implementation costs including all overheads, but not GST. For example, the total cost associated with designing and initiating an education / participation program.

The typical annual maintenance cost is the annual cost of normal / routine, frequent maintenance activities, including all related costs such as staff training, but not including GST. For example, the annual cost associated with running an established, on-going education / participation campaign.

The annualised renewal / adaptation cost is the cost of unusual and/or infrequent restoration activities, including all overheads but not GST. For example, periodically evaluating and re-designing a long-term education / participation campaign.

The renewal period is the period between infrequent renewal / restoration activities. For example, an education and enforcement program may need to be evaluated and re-designed every two years to keep it fresh, focused, relevant and effective.

The decommissioning cost is the cost of shutting down the stormwater management measure at the end of its functional life. For example, decommissioning products associated with an education / participation campaign (e.g. web sites, advertisements, specialist educational roles, etc.).