A fleet strategy should provide long-term direction, but it also needs to change as technology, operational requirements and organisational priorities evolve.
That balance is evident across the three finalists in the 2026 Fleet News Group Fleet of the Year Award — Blacktown City Council, Ausgrid and Parkes Shire Council.
Each organisation has a documented framework guiding fleet decisions, but the important part is how those plans are reviewed, challenged and updated using operational data.
For Blacktown, the emphasis is on keeping a 10-year asset plan agile as population growth and new vehicle technologies change the operating environment. Ausgrid has developed a CEO-endorsed strategy with defined pillars and KPIs through to FY2029. Parkes Shire Council continually adjusts its replacement program as utilisation, costs and operational needs change.
Blacktown City Council: keeping a 10-year plan agile
Blacktown City Council operates a rolling 10-year asset management plan, but the fleet team does not treat it as a fixed replacement schedule.
The council rewrote its asset management approach in 2024 to better accommodate the transition towards zero-emission vehicles and changing operating requirements.
Fleet Manager Kris Nair explained during the Fleet News Group Awards interview that replacement decisions are increasingly based on utilisation rather than simply age.
Telematics and dashboard information allow the team to identify assets that may be underutilised, rotate vehicles between departments and reconsider when replacements are actually required.
Blacktown has also developed an additional zero-emissions roadmap sitting alongside the main asset management plan.
That roadmap considers the timing, cost and suitability of future vehicle replacements while allowing the broader strategy to respond to changes in the city.
Population growth is one of those challenges.
Higher-density development is expected to increase demand for services such as waste collection, but Blacktown does not want its response to automatically be more vehicles.
The fleet team is considering whether quieter electric trucks and increased utilisation could allow assets to work across longer operating windows instead.
For Blacktown, fleet strategy is therefore a living document that links future demand with utilisation, technology and whole-of-life decisions.
Ausgrid: four pillars with executive endorsement
Ausgrid has taken a clearly structured approach to fleet strategy. Its fleet strategy covers FY2026 to FY2029 and was endorsed at executive level, including the CEO.
The strategy is built around four pillars:
- Safe to work
- Fit for purpose
- Value for money
- Electrification
Each pillar is supported by KPIs and initiatives, giving the fleet team a framework for measuring progress rather than simply describing an ambition.
The “safe to work” pillar includes initiatives around telematics, driver behaviour and training.
“Fit for purpose” covers vehicle allocation, utilisation and ensuring enough equipment remains available for storm and emergency response.
“Value for money” focuses on cost optimisation and employee productivity.
“Electrification” provides the direction for one of Ausgrid’s largest fleet transformations, including vehicles and charging infrastructure.
The strategy also creates a way to balance objectives that can sometimes compete with each other.
For example, reducing fleet numbers could improve utilisation, but Ausgrid must retain enough vehicles and specialist plant to restore power after major storms.
Similarly, electrification targets need to be achieved without compromising operational reliability.
The fleet strategy gives Ausgrid a framework for making those trade-offs visible and measurable.
Parkes Shire Council: adjusting the plan when the data changes
Parkes Shire Council operates a 10-year fleet replacement program within its broader asset management framework.
However, Fleet and Depot Manager Michael O’Shannessy made it clear during the finalist interview that the schedule is continually reviewed.
Assets can be brought forward or pushed back depending on age, kilometres, hours, condition, maintenance costs, utilisation, resale value, operational requirements and whole-of-life performance.
The council uses TechnologyOne dashboards to monitor recovery rates, operating costs and asset performance.
For some vehicles, the analysis goes as far as comparing actual operating costs per kilometre between different makes and models.
This information allows Parkes to challenge assumptions in the replacement program.
If an asset is not generating enough utilisation or internal recovery, its replacement can be deferred. If an asset is becoming expensive to operate or presents a maintenance risk, the replacement may be brought forward.
Major fleet decisions are also documented and presented through the council’s plant procurement committee, which includes councillors and the mayor.
Monthly reporting to executives provides another layer of oversight, while weekly fuel and operating reports support more frequent conversations with operational teams.
Parkes also uses audit findings as an input into strategy and process improvement.
When an external audit highlighted the need for a stronger approach to major repairs shortly before disposal, the fleet team developed a new assessment process for repairs exceeding $10,000 on assets due for replacement within 12 months.
That process now supports more consistent financial decisions about whether to repair, retain or dispose of an asset.
Different approaches, same principle
The three finalists operate very different fleets, but their approach to strategy has one thing in common: none treats the fleet plan as something that is written once and filed away.
Blacktown City Council is adapting its long-term plan as growth, utilisation and electrification change.
Ausgrid has created a CEO-endorsed strategy with defined pillars, KPIs and a four-year implementation horizon.
Parkes Shire Council is continually adjusting its 10-year replacement program using whole-of-life cost, utilisation and operational data.
In each case, strategy is being connected to real fleet information and reviewed as circumstances change.
That is an important part of fleet management maturity.
A strategy provides the direction, but data, reporting and regular review determine whether the organisation stays on the right path.
Have your say
Blacktown City Council, Ausgrid and Parkes Shire Council are finalists in the Fleet of the Year category in the 2026 Fleet News Group Awards.
Each organisation has demonstrated a structured approach to developing, reviewing and updating its fleet strategy.
Now it is up to the industry to decide which organisation is doing the best job.
Vote for the organisation you think deserves to be named Fleet of the Year.
The winner will be announced at the Fleet News Group Awards Night in Sydney on 14 October 2026.
Fleet and automotive industry professionals can also register their interest to attend the event.
