Mr. Speaker, as of April 1st we are finally going to have legislative
authority over water, excluding the offshore, in our territory.
This is major step forward for the people of the Northwest Territories as water binds us together. We share with all NWT residents the desire to safeguard our water resources for current and future generations.
New responsibilities assumed by Environment and Natural Resources under the new NWT Waters Act will enable us to do this.
ENR will approve water licences prepared by the land and water boards and will be responsible for inspections and enforcement of those licences as well as regulating deposit of wastes from activities and developments on, or which impact, public land and waters.
The department will also conduct the analysis to enable boards to set securities for water licences and will then hold those securities.
The Minister of ENR will continue to be the Minister responsible under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and will exercise this authority along with other responsible Ministers from the new Department of Lands and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
A one-window approach will be implemented to ensure that decision-making and regulation of activities involving public land, water and non-renewable resources is coordinated across government.
ENR will continue to provide technical input and advice on water, forests, wildlife and the environment through the environmental impact and assessment process.
The department will also provide technical and expert advice on guidelines and regulation changes
needed for the management of development activities in the NWT.
This includes working cooperatively with other departments and regulatory bodies to further develop a made-in-the-NWT policy framework to help manage and protect the environmental interests of residents while providing economic opportunities, jobs and training for Northerners.
Mr. Speaker, in May 2010, ENR and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada released a Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy for the NWT.
This strategy will continue to guide our actions in conserving this valuable resource.
Progress continues to be made in many areas. This includes maintaining the network of water quality and quantity monitoring sites established by AANDC, increasing and supporting community-based monitoring programs in the Mackenzie River Basin and developing source water protection plans for our communities.
We continue to pursue transboundary water management agreements with Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Yukon.
Mr. Speaker, we will be relying on the continued support and involvement of Aboriginal governments and our partners as we move forward in building capacity and undertaking northern-focused research with a greater emphasis on the biological aspect of water monitoring.
Devolution will expand the role of ENR in cumulative impacts assessment, monitoring and management. The Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program along with ENR’s work on a Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management Response Framework will improve the way cumulative impacts are assessed, monitored, managed and considered in land and water management decisions.
Mr. Speaker, we also recognize a network of protected and conservation areas has yet to be completed in the NWT.
We are committed to completing this network through the Land Use and Sustainability Framework and the development of an Ecological Representative Network Plan.
Land use and ecological representation planning combined with the use and development of northern tools are key to finishing a protected and conservation areas network.
Mr. Speaker, our unique context and values are rooted in working together with Aboriginal governments for the betterment of our communities and our shared vision of a healthy and prosperous territory.
We will continue to work cooperatively and collaboratively with Aboriginal governments, communities and our partners on the stewardship and management of our forests, wildlife, water and environment.
This will allow us to examine issues from all perspectives – scientific, traditional and local knowledge – in our decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, this approach will help us meet the challenges and opportunities of devolution and set the agenda for our development in the next decade. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.