Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide my colleagues with an update on the Gas Tax Agreement which was signed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada in November 2005, and witnessed by the Northwest Territories Association of Communities.
The Gas Tax Agreement will provide additional funding of $37.5 million over five years to community governments for investments in environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure. This funding is in addition to the federal Municipal Rural Infrastructure Program of $16 million over five years that is reflected in this year's budget and the enhanced Government of the Northwest Territories commitment to stable funding for community public infrastructure of $28 million per year. This injection of infrastructure funding will go a long way towards addressing the infrastructure deficit in our communities.
Projects that are eligible for funding under the Gas Tax Agreement include environmentally-friendly public transit infrastructure such as bike lanes and walking trails. Gas tax funds can also be used by communities for the construction of new and more efficient community energy systems, water and sewage services and solid waste facilities. I am particularly pleased that the Northwest Territories was also able to negotiate the inclusion of dust control expenditures as an eligible cost.
Some communities have expressed concerns about the restrictions on what projects gas tax funds can be used for. As chair of the provincial/territorial Ministers of Local Government, I am working in collaboration with other provinces and territories to lobby for changes to the list of eligible projects. All jurisdictions would like to see more flexibility in how this funding can be used.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is currently working with all community governments and the
Northwest Territories Association of Communities to prepare for implementation of the agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, each community government must complete an integrated community sustainability plan by 2010. It will be up to communities, working with the department, to determine just what these plans will look like, but we do know that essential components will include capital investment plans and community energy plans. Although these plans are a requirement of the gas tax funding, the focus on capital investment planning will help communities as they prepare to take on increased responsibility for infrastructure under the government's New Deal for community governments.
Later this year, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will provide an opportunity for communities to meet and discuss development of sustainability plans. The conference will bring in resource persons from other jurisdictions who have experience in community sustainability planning and give communities a chance to share ideas and expertise.
With the assistance of the Arctic Energy Alliance, the conference will include information on the benefits of community energy planning; the sharing of best practices in energy planning and conservation initiatives; and the identification of resources available to community governments to develop their integrated community sustainability plan.
I will continue to provide my colleagues with information on our progress and activities undertaken through the Gas Tax Agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause