The Town of St. Lunaire-Griquet will receive $95,000 through the 2008-09 Municipal Capital Works (MCW) program for upgrading and paving of Hillview Drive. The MCW program fosters the development of cost-shared projects in a wide range of municipal infrastructure, including water and waste-water treatment, roads, recreational facilities and fire equipment.

"The Provincial Government recognizes the need that exists to improve municipal infrastructure," said the Honourable Dave Denine, Minister of Municipal Affairs. "We are committed to working with municipalities and making strategic infrastructure investments. I am pleased that through this funding, residents of St. Lunaire-Griquet will benefit from improvements to an important local road, Hillview Drive."

Through the 2008-09 program, $61.2 million will be spent on many infrastructure improvement projects province-wide. Under the program, the Provincial Government will contribute $32.4 million; the Federal Government will contribute $12 million and the municipalities will contribute $14.1 million. Towns will also utilize the Federal GST rebate as part of the capital cost.

The MCW program has been significantly improved by recently announced revised cost-share ratios for municipalities. These new changes state that towns with populations under 3,000 now have to contribute only 10 per cent toward the cost of capital infrastructure. Towns with populations between 3,000 and 7,000 contribute 20 per cent and the largest cities and towns with populations over 7,000 contribute 30 per cent.

"Municipalities require reliable and efficient infrastructure and I am very pleased that we are able to provide the Town of St. Lunaire-Griquet with funding to upgrade Hillview Drive and at a much improved cost-shared ratio," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, MHA for The Straits - White Bay North. "This new cost-sharing ratio enables smaller rural communities to complete infrastructure projects which previously were not possible."

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Media contact:

Jennifer Collingwood
Director of Communications
Department of Municipal Affairs
709-729-1983, 690-2498
JenniferCollingwood@gov.nl.ca