Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 49-15 asked by Mr. Villeneuve on February 19th, 2007, to the Honourable Michael McLeod, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, regarding the number of communities that have completed their integrated community sustainability plans and their capital investment plans.
Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Villeneuve on February 19, 2007, regarding the number of communities that have completed their integrated community sustainability plans and their capital investment plans.
The Gas Tax Agreement, signed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada in November 2005, requires that, as a condition of funding, all communities complete an integrated community sustainability plan by March 31, 2010. The integrated community sustainability plans have several elements, including the requirement that capital investment plans are completed by March 31, 2007.
Regional staff of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are currently working with all communities to complete their capital investment plans. The department has developed a template and a capital planning tool to assist community governments in developing these plans. This information was shared with communities at a conference held in November 2006 to discuss the development of integrated community sustainability plans. The department has also completed an assessment of community infrastructure which has been provided to community governments as the starting point for capital planning. Finally, the department has sponsored regional capital planning training workshops for community government staff and council members.
No finalized plans have yet been submitted to the department, but staff are confident that all communities will have plans completed and submitted in the near future. If communities require an extension to the March 31, 2007, deadline, MACA will work with Infrastructure Canada to ensure that this need is addressed.
Since finalized integrated community sustainability plans are not required to be submitted to MACA until March 2010, no communities have submitted these plans. However, departmental staff are working with community government representatives to develop the integrated community sustainability plan template which will be presented and reviewed by community governments at the Strengthening Communities Conference scheduled to take place in Yellowknife in early April 2007.