What is Effective Life of an Asset?

digg_url = ‘http://theyounginvestor.com.au/2009/11/04/what-is-effective-life-of-an-asset/’;
digg_title = ‘What is Effective Life of an Asset?’;
digg_bodytext = ‘Effective lives – Explained
The ‘effective life’ of an asset is used by a Quantity Surveyor to work out an asset’s decline in value.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) describes an effective life as ‘the period of time that a depreciating asset can be used [...]