Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share with my colleagues the great success stories about all 33 community governments in the Northwest Territories.
As Members know, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is the lead department working with community governments to implement the requirements for funding under the Canada-NWT Gas Tax Agreement.
One condition of this agreement is that all 33 community governments in the Northwest Territories complete an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, or ICSP, by March 31, 2010. The ICSP includes a community strategic plan, as well as three sub plans: a capital investment plan, a community energy plan, and a human resources plan.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that all 33 community governments successfully completed and adopted their ICSPs by the required March 31, 2010, deadline.
As we all know, good planning is an essential requirement for success. Through the development of an ICSP, a community government has created a roadmap that outlines where it wants to go and how it is expected to get there.
Between November 2009 and January 2010, 26 of the 33 community governments worked with MACA and its partners, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and the Arctic Energy Alliance, and attended regional workshops to assist with the completion of their ICSPs. The workshops were deemed a great success. The remaining seven community governments took the initiative to work with external consultants with expertise in the field, and also completed their ICSPs by the March 2010 deadline.
Mr. Speaker, because of the hard work of all 33 community governments to complete their plan by the required deadline, I am pleased to inform Members that the Gas Tax Agreement will flow $60 million to community governments in the Northwest Territories over the period 2010-11 to 2013-14. During this period, community governments will be putting their hard work to use and in implementing their ICSPs.
With the success of community governments in approving their ICSPs, they are now better equipped to focus on priorities, analyze their opportunities, and implement any needed organizational or operational changes. The ICSPs will also provide community governments with information to correct any poor performing areas, give a clear sense of direction to community government staff, and provide a frame of reference for their budget.
To support community governments with the implementation of their plans, MACA and the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, the Arctic Energy Alliance, and the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories will support communities with the ongoing development and implementation of their existing ICSPs, and will assist community governments in facilitating larger community engagement and citizen involvement. MACA and its partners will also provide technical advice and assistance related to all aspects of ICSPs; engage partners, both government and non-government, to advance broad community goals and strategies; and assist community governments with required tools and resources.
Mr. Speaker, with completed strategic plans for all 33 community governments, a clear path forward has been laid out that will bring great results in the areas of capital infrastructure development, increased energy efficiency and the investment in building local capacity, which is an integral part of the 16th Legislative Assembly’s priorities to create sustainable, vibrant and safe communities for all residents of the NWT. Congratulations to all 33 community governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.
