Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, building a strong local economy has been a significant focus of this Legislative Assembly. Making more land available to community governments means more business opportunities that help build stronger local economies.
This past December, the Department of Lands shared a process guide for transferring land within municipal community boundaries with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities. This was the essential step in support of this mandate commitment to reduce the municipal funding gap. This guide is also being shared directly with all NWT communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands initially created a process guide for the transfer of public land to the City of Yellowknife. That document has now been adapted for use by all communities in the Northwest Territories. As we know, each community's capacity to administer and manage land is different. The Department of Lands and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will continue to work together to ensure communities are set up for success.
Mr. Speaker, the value of land that has been transferred to community governments from 2017-2021 is approximately $5.2 million. Under the Land Pricing Policy, the GNWT transfers selected public land, for a nominal fee, to community governments. This is done so the maximum benefit of the land value can be realized by the community.
The GNWT understands and respects the importance of land selection when negotiating Aboriginal rights agreements. For this reason, the Department relies on interim land withdrawals and our consultation process to protect land selection and land interests.
Mr. Speaker, this process guide will help both community governments who can already accept land transfers, as well as those communities who are hoping to do so in the future. It is a supportive document that explains what is to be expected and outlines the process and the timelines. In some cases, there will be additional work needed before land transfer can happen, such as ensuring community plans are in place and bylaws are up to date. The Department of Lands works with other GWNT departments to ensure that parcels of land can be transferred as requested to community governments.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, we transfer the land for a nominal fee but the value is certainly not nominal when it comes to reducing the municipal funding gap. The Department of Lands looks forward to working with all community governments so we can better understand their land needs and interests. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.