Campbell East entrance at Niagara Region Headquarters

Corporate Asset Management Plan

2025-2030

Niagara Region owns and maintains $12.1 billion in infrastructure, from water pipes and roads to long-term care homes and transit buses. This plan sets out the condition of those assets and what it takes to keep them working.

$12.1B

Replacement value of Regional infrastructure

71%

of assets rated fair, good or very good condition

16

Service areas covered by the plan, from water to police services

Niagara Region is responsible for a wide range of public infrastructure: water and wastewater systems, roads and bridges, transit vehicles, long-term care homes, community housing, paramedic stations and more. The Corporate Asset Management Plan is our roadmap for maintaining all of it in a state of good repair.

The plan is required under Ontario Regulation 588/17, which sets out how municipalities must plan, fund and report on their infrastructure. It's updated regularly with the current version, approved in June 2025, reflecting asset data as of the end of 2023.

Every five years, Niagara Region takes a close look at what it owns, what condition it's in, and what it will cost to keep services reliable as Niagara continues to grow.

Why this matters

Without a long-term plan for maintaining and replacing these assets, service gaps and emergency repairs become more costly over time. Asset management means making smarter, evidence-based decisions about when and how to invest in infrastructure, so services stay reliable and tax dollars go further.

State of our infrastructure

Niagara Region rates the condition of its infrastructure on a scale from very good to very poor, based on inspections, engineering assessments and asset age.

71% of assets (by value) are in fair, good or very good condition
13% are in very poor condition and are candidates for near-term replacement

What the ratings mean

Very good / good: the asset is performing as intended and maintenance costs are within normal range — typically a newer or recently rehabilitated asset.

Fair: the asset is showing signs of wear and some components may need replacing soon; maintenance costs are rising.

Poor / very poor: the asset is significantly deteriorated, at higher risk of failure, and maintenance is no longer cost-effective — replacement or major rehabilitation is needed.

16 service areas, one $12.1 billion portfolio

What we own

Every service area's share of the Region's total infrastructure value, from largest to smallest.

Wastewater36.24%
Transportation26.87%
Water16.79%
Community Housing7.60%
Seniors Services3.84%
Niagara Transit Commission2.42%
Police Services2.22%
Waste Management0.92%
Facilities0.69%
Information Technology0.53%
Emergency Medical Services0.48%
Fleet0.44%
Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities0.32%
Public Health0.24%
Canada Games Park0.21%
Children’s Services0.10%
Court Services0.10%

Share of the Region’s $12.1 billion in assets (replacement value). The plan covers 16 service areas; Canada Games Park is shown as a separate line in the plan’s own chart. Source: 2025 Corporate Asset Management Plan, asset data as of year-end 2023.

The gap between what's needed and what's funded

Paying for it

Keeping infrastructure in good repair costs more each year than Niagara Region currently has available through sustainable funding sources.

$392M Annual funding gap

Niagara Region needs an average of $585 million a year to keep existing infrastructure in good repair, but has about $194 million a year in reliable, ongoing funding, leaving a $392 million annual shortfall.

What closing the gap would take

3.79% recommended annual increase to the general levy
7.25% recommended annual increase to water and wastewater rates
0.88% recommended annual increase to the transit special levy
0.04% recommended annual increase to the waste management special levy

These are the increases recommended in the 2025 Corporate Asset Managment Plan to fully close the funding gap over 10 years — not necessarily the rates Council has approved in any given budget year.

Doing the right work, on the right assets

What guides investment decisions

Asset management balances the level of service provided, the cost to provide it, and the risk of not investing. Every decision weighs five things.

Right work

Choosing maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement based on what an asset actually needs.

Right assets

Prioritizing the infrastructure that matters most to service delivery and public safety.

Right time

Acting before failure — not so early that funding is wasted, not so late that costs climb.

Right cost

Getting the best long-term value from every dollar invested in infrastructure.

Right reasons

Grounding decisions in evidence — condition, risk and community need — not guesswork.

What happens next

Where this plan is headed

2026–2027

Continue improving asset management plans and long-term financing strategies, including a comprehensive levels of service framework and public consultation on financial sustainability and affordability.

Annually, by July 1

Niagara Region reviews progress on asset management planning as part of the budget process.

Every five years

The Corporate Asset Management Plan is fully updated to reflect current conditions, costs and financial strategy. The next full update is expected around 2030.