Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 7, Community Planning and Development Act. This new legislation was developed in response to requests from municipal governments, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories, and professional community planners.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work of representatives of the NWT Association of Communities and the professional planners on our Peer Review Group, who all made important

contributions at various stages to the development of this bill.

Community planning can be simple or complex, depending on the needs and desires of the community. Our aim is to have legislation that serves all municipalities, from the smallest to the largest, which enables communities to meet their visions for the orderly development of their municipalities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to hearing comments from the Members, and answering any questions.