Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly know, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is the lead department for this government's community empowerment priority. This government is committed to ensuring that communities have the flexibility and authority that they need to manage their own affairs and the department is ready for this challenge.
The department is moving to respond to this government priority. A number of initiatives aimed at building community control are already in progress. One of these initiatives is to reform the community land development process.
Land reform has been given by many factors:
- foremost, the expressed desire of communities to strengthen their authority and responsibility;
- secondly, all Nunavut community governments will hold title to land within their boundaries by July 1996 and as outstanding claims are settled, the department will encourage ownership of land by community governments in the Western Arctic as well;
- finally, in the past, MACA has provided building lots for residents in non-tax-based communities in the NWT. The costs of developing land have not been recovered. This has resulted in a huge subsidy which everyone received regardless of their ability to pay. Mr. Speaker, as all Members know, this government faces the challenges of providing important programs and services with less money. We must utilize our resources in the most effective manner possible, to provide or assist community governments in providing these programs and services. A more reasonable level of recovery and land development costs is therefore necessary.
The department will be reviewing how land should be developed, financed and priced. This review will include all community governments and band councils and will focus on an opportunity to increase local control over land development. Where the GNWT continues to do land development, a fair and affordable method of cost recovery will be developed.
Mr. Speaker, as the first step of this process, the department has prepared a paper entitled: "Funding the Right Balance: Options for Changing Land Development Practices." This paper will be used to:
- inform community governments and organizations of the issues around land development;
- outline the options available to governments for new strategies for land development; and,
- help us to work together with communities to ensure that we find the right balance between the interests of governments and land users.
Mr. Speaker, the department is committed to providing the necessary training and funding to assist community governments in this area. The department has provided funding and training for community governments and residents. Examples include the community land administration certificate program; the community lands computer system; ongoing workshops with community governments; and, managing capital projects. The department recognizes that these training opportunities are very important to the success of this particular community empowerment initiative. They will continue to be a main component of assisting communities to take on these new authorities and responsibilities.
The department is also examining ways to increase community authority and responsibility through legislative changes. For land reform, this will involve enabling legislation for long-term borrowing for land development.
The department recognizes that meaningful and thorough consultation is very important to the success of this initiative. Over the next few months, we will be discussing with communities the pricing of building lots and options for new land development strategies. The strategies will reflect the evolving role of community governments in land development and pricing of building lots and options for new land development strategies.
The strategies will reflect the evolving role of community governments in land development and pricing of building lots and options for new land development strategies. The strategies will reflect the evolving role of community governments in land development and pricing. The department will be seeking feedback on what the GNWT needs to do to facilitate these changes. Once this input is received, I will be bringing my recommendations to Cabinet.
Mr. Speaker, although there are many challenges that lie ahead in reforming the community land development process, there are also many exciting opportunities. I am confident that, working with community governments and band councils, we can take advantage of these opportunities and better serve the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause