On the environmental audit, in the last number of years I’m aware of two audits being done. They’re done every five years. The latest one was done three years ago and my understanding is that there have been a number of groups that have responded to the environmental audit. Also, I understand that the next environmental audit is scheduled for 2015-16. Thank you.
Debates of March 4th, 2014
This is page numbers 4135 – 4182 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Campbell
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you for that information. Just on that, I’m sure the Minister is aware that in the last two audits, which were very good and comprehensive and thorough pieces of work, the recommendations where never followed up on by the federal government. Now we are the authority in most of these areas. Can we expect that the Minister will ensure that recommendations that come out of these environmental audits will be actually acted on and put in place? I think the 2010 audit repeated many of the things that were in the 2005 audit and I’m sure the same thing is going to happen in the next one. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the intention would be to fully consider the recommendations coming out of the audit. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Yes, that would certainly be unique, so I appreciate that, Mr. Chair.
Just what role would this division play with oil and gas developments such as are ongoing in the Sahtu right now? Is what we are inheriting here, are they already at work in the Sahtu area with respect to oil and gas? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. For that response we’ll go to Deputy Minister Campbell.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Campbell
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This division will still play a major role in any major development projects in the Northwest Territories. The focus, absolutely, is on the Sahtu with oil and gas at this time. We would continue to be a responsible player and a major player in the environmental assessment processes. The review of applications, the pre-screening and providing comments that are directly related to our mandate, and of course, as we all know, that is through the coordination of the three departments, but primarily the coordinating function will be in the Department of Lands, but our concerns, et cetera, comments will flow through that but we will absolutely be a major part of that process.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, thanks for that information. Will greenhouse gasses be part of the monitoring and assessment work that goes on with the projects? Is that now automatic in consideration of projects? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s not automatic; it doesn’t currently exist, so it would have to be, like some other things, looked at and built in on a go-forward basis. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Yes, that’s obviously pretty incredible in this day and age, and I know the Minister would probably like to see that happen. Would the Minister commit to seeing that gets done? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
We would like to see the renewed Greenhouse Gas Strategy be reflective of the place we are in terms of our political evolution, and with devolution and having all these authorities, I think we want to take that more comprehensive look that the Member has been talking about. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
The Greenhouse Gas Strategy is great, but it seems to have been a document we can park on the shelf. These guys are out there assessing and monitoring and doing on-the-ground work, so it would be obviously good and appropriate and I’m sure the Minister agrees, so I will look forward to that.
The last one is on the ecological representation network, the Protected Areas Strategy work and a lot of this has been put on hold by the department, apparently waiting for the development of northern tools. What are those northern tools and when will we see them?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
The northern tools are going to be the mechanisms that we’re all going to agree to that make sense for the Northwest Territories to have at their disposal. When we look at things like protected areas and we look at things like the establishment of parks, like the proposed Thaidene Nene Park, is there an opportunity to use federal tools as well as territorial ones, the work is being done. There is a draft that we are hopefully going to get to look at fairly soon, but Deputy Minister Campbell is involved in that process and I will ask him to provide a bit further detail. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Campbell
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The northern tools project, there are two phases to that, and we are working, of course, with other
departments on that. The first phase was to do the analysis of current existing tools. The second phase of it, of course, going forward, is determining which tools are most appropriate for the conservation areas that need to be managed through these tools. Of course, that phase will involve looking at new tools as we go forward here.
The Protected Areas Strategy and the Ecological Representative Network Plan, yes, that would be a big part of this division as well. We will be coming forward shortly with the Ecological Representative Network Plan. We know from the 45 ecological regions in the NWT there’s a small number of them that still have no representation and that plan is focused more on core protected areas going forward, so the northern tools project has to fit with how we’re going to unfold this Ecological Representative Network Plan as well.
The Protected Areas Strategy, of course, we all know from the past that this is a partnership approach, and going forward we know we have to work with our partners here to establish a process that would ensure our partners that protected areas, if we want to continue to use that term, or conservation areas are part of the mix as we go forward with our Land Use and Sustainability Framework. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Committee, we are 13-33, activity summary, conservation assessment and monitoring, operations expenditure summary, $8.423 million. Does committee agree?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
Committee, 13-34, activity summary, conservation assessment and monitoring, grants and contributions, $3.335 million. Does committee agree?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
Thank you, committee. Page 13-35, information item, activity summary, conservation assessment and monitoring, active positions. Any questions?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
I see none. Page 13-36, activity summary, land and water, operations expenditure summary. Any questions? Mr. Nadli.