NLIS 3
March 9, 2005
(Executive Council)

Rural Secretariat councils will help regions advance social and economic development

At a news conference today, Kathy Dunderdale, Minister responsible for the Rural Secretariat and Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, announced the structure for the Rural Secretariat. The Rural Secretariat will comprise nine regional councils and one provincial council which will provide advice and guidance on rural and regional strategies developed for the province. The secretariat was established in February 2004 with a mandate to advance rural issues.

"To help promote cooperation among communities and to maximize the assets we have available, we have identified nine regions each of which has two or three larger centres, a number of smaller communities, and shared infrastructure," said Minister Dunderdale. "If the province is to prosper in the future, communities, regions and government must cooperate, recognize our strengths and our weaknesses, and build strong regions which work together."

The nine regions were identified based on patterns of activity already existing in the province. Factors such as available infrastructure, the number of communities, population, and economic and labour market activity were taken into account. Each regional council will meet four times a year to develop a regional vision and priorities, to identify barriers to and assets available for attaining success, and to identify what policies and programs are needed to help move the vision forward.

Minister Dunderdale said the regional councils will include community leaders with proven track records in the areas of economic, social, cultural and environmental development. Selection of individuals to sit on the regional councils will be done through an open nomination process. The councils will act as advisory bodies to government and will not be involved in direct program delivery. To ensure their views are shared directly with policy makers, each regional council will nominate individuals to sit on the Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat.

The Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat will be mandated to provide a province-wide perspective and directly advise government on policy and program options that will lead to strong sustainable regions in the province. The provincial council will include representatives from each of the nine regional councils, Memorial University, the College of the North Atlantic and other individuals who can advance regional development. At least twice a year, the provincial council will meet with the premier, Cabinet and deputy ministers to share their views on sustainable regional development, provide advice on policy directions, and provide feedback on proposed initiatives. These dialogues will promote an overall shared vision, help establish priorities for development, and improve communications.

"One group alone cannot address the social and economic issues facing the province, so it is essential we all work together. As a government we are very excited to move forward with the new structure of the Rural Secretariat as it will encourage more effective dialogue among partners within regions, among regions, and with and among government departments," said Minister Dunderdale.

Media contact: Lynn Evans, Communications (709) 729-4570 or 690-6290

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BACKGROUNDERS
Rural Secretariat

• In February 2004, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the establishment of a Rural Secretariat.
   

• During 2004-05 the Minister responsible for the Rural Secretariat held consultations across the province with a wide range of individuals and organizations. The purpose was to determine how best to ensure that communities can directly influence the long term sustainable development of the province.
   

• Part of the consultation process included a Dialogue Day on the Rural Secretariat convened by the Premier and Minister responsible for the Rural Secretariat. For the first time, members of Cabinet, elected officials, senior bureaucrats (both federal and provincial) and community representatives met together to discuss a vision for rural development. Informed discussions and development of a shared vision and shared responsibility for action will be a hallmark of the Rural Secretariat.
   

• The approach to sustainable rural development will be regional. Smaller and larger communities are mutually dependent on one another for both economic and social development. Communities will be viable within sustainable regions.
   

• Based on consultations, government has developed a structure for the Rural Secretariat. The key elements include:

  • The Rural Secretariat is part of the Executive Council. It will work with all government departments to promote rural issues and develop regional approaches which effectively link economic, social, cultural and environmental issues.

  • The Rural Secretariat will report directly to the Minister responsible for the Rural Secretariat.

  • There will be nine regions - each with two or three larger communities and a network of smaller communities.

  • Each region will have a Regional Council.

  • Each region will have a representative on the Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat.

Regional Councils of the Rural Secretariat

• Regional Council Mandate:

  • To develop a common, evidence-based understanding of the social, economic, environmental and cultural realities of a region.

  • To review key regional economic and social measures (e.g. education levels, demographic trends, health status, income levels, EI usage, economic diversity) and to reach agreement on the priorities for change over the next five years.

  • To identify policies and programs which either advance, negatively impact or need to be developed to encourage the necessary change over the five year period.

  • To advance regional cooperation through the sharing of information on and discussion about economic and social measures, and to encourage regional partners to take action on and be accountable for those areas within their mandates.

  • To serve as a sounding board in their region for new or proposed initiatives.

  • To nominate an individual to represent the region on the Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat.

Provincial Council of the Rural Secretariat

• Provincial Council Mandate:

  • To develop a common, evidence-based understanding of the social, economic, environmental and cultural realities facing the province.

  • To review key provincial economic and social measures (e.g. education levels, demographic trends, health status, income levels, EI usage, economic diversity) and to reach agreement on the priorities for change over the next five years.

  • To identify and advise government on policies and programs which either advance, negatively impact or need to be developed to encourage the necessary change over the five year period.

  • To advance cooperation through the sharing of information on and discussion about economic and social measures, and to encourage government and community partners to take action on and be accountable for those areas within their mandates.

  • To meet twice annually with the provincial Cabinet and deputy ministers to advance regional development priorities.

  • To serve as an external sounding board for government for the development of strategies, policies, programs and budget issues that will affect provincial and regional sustainability.

Rural Secretariat Staff Support

• To facilitate and support the work of the regional councils, the Rural Secretariat will have a small staff component within the Confederation Building and one staff in each of the nine regions (with two assigned to Avalon in recognition of its population density).
   
• Staff of the Rural Secretariat will be responsible for the following tasks:
  • To work cooperatively with regions and government departments to develop and recommend a rural strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador which identifies economic and social development priorities.
  • To identify and review all key legislation, regulations and policies to assess their impact on rural areas of the province.
  • To develop analytical tools and work with or assist departments, agencies and community organizations on how to assess the impact of their policies and programs on rural areas.
  • To develop and maintain a set of core indicators in collaboration with departments and regional councils and to use these indicators to provide regular monitoring reports on progress.
  • To promote innovative and collaborative cross-departmental and cross-sectoral approaches which identify opportunities, issues and new ways of developing and implementing programs, services and opportunities in rural areas.
  • To develop opportunities for the coordination of relevant research related to rural development including ways to share and interpret results to maximize their benefits for multiple users.
  • To chair a multi-sector stakeholder committee to promote the use of the Community Accounts and ensure that they are maintained and updated effectively.
  • To work with the federal Rural Secretariat to promote regional sustainability.
  • The Rural Secretariat will continue to support the work of the Community Accounts. The Community Accounts is a Web-based information system which provides data by community, regions, and provincially. It can be accessed at www.communityaccounts.ca

2005 03 09                     10:50 a.m.