Over $106 million approved for Multi-Year Municipal Capital Works Program

Premier Brian Tobin and Lloyd Matthews, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, today announced 26 projects worth $106.4 million for 10 municipalities under the provincial government's new Multi-Year Municipal Capital Works Program. The program provides qualifying municipalities the ability to finance long-term municipal capital works projects on a 50/50 basis with the province.

Premier Tobin said: "This initiative will accommodate growth in these municipalities and will facilitate economic development in the province generally. It will create 2,450 direct jobs with indirect and spinoff jobs reaching in excess of 5,000. Combined with the $34 million recently announced for the regular municipal capital works program, the total of $140 million being spent on municipal infrastructure development in the province will create 3,250 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect and spinoff jobs. It is important to note as well that municipalities are demonstrating their confidence in their communities and in the province generally through their participation in this program on a 50/50 basis."

Mr. Matthews said the program was introduced in early 1999 to provide funding for municipal infrastructure projects that are too large to be effectively or efficiently accommodated within the regular municipal capital works program. He said: "Introducing a program that can facilitate larger municipal capital works projects on a multi-year basis over a longer time period allows comprehensive infrastructure development to take place in municipalities. It also provides for economies of scale in combining projects that could only be carried out separately and over many years under the regular municipal capital works program."

Sam Synard, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities, said: "This program will go a long way towards addressing municipal infrastructure needs in the province. Municipalities can now systematically plan their development with the assurance that the funding will be there to complete the projects."

Mr. Matthews added that while the program is primarily focused on water and sewer projects, which will also provide tangible environmental benefits, funding is being allocated for essential road construction and upgrading. He said: "This type of accelerated program will advance the provision of infrastructure for communities in the province and will benefit not only existing development, but will also provide for more cost-effective in-fill and fully-serviced new development."

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DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AND PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS
MULTI-YEAR PROGRAM
APPROVED FUNDING

Bay Roberts	$9,555,000
Conception Bay South	20,000,000
Fogo	4,280,000
Holyrood	1,433,100
Paradise	15,600,000
Port au Choix	4,847,000
Portugal Cove-St. Philips	9,000,000
St. John's	27,805,000
Stephenville	9,584,100
Twillingate	4,283,100

TOTAL PROGRAM	$106,387,300