NLIS 11
Municipal Affairs
July 9, 2009
Community and Municipal Sustainability a
Priority for Ministers of Local Government
At the conclusion of their annual meeting
in St. John�s today, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible
for Local Government reaffirmed their commitment to continue a
collaborative approach to municipal sustainability with a focus on
municipal infrastructure and strengthening the rural municipal sector.
�Strong and viable municipalities and communities are the cornerstone of
strong provinces and territories,� said the Honourable Dianne Whalen,
Newfoundland and Labrador�s Minister of Municipal Affairs.
�Municipalities continue to face challenges but we collectively believe
that through this forum we learn from each other�s experiences and
successes.�
Ministers heard from Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador on
sustainability, economic development and demographic changes. They
talked about how the issues and challenges in Newfoundland and Labrador
are similar to those across the country. Ministers expressed the
importance of collaboration with all partners to address these
challenges.
Municipal infrastructure is a priority for all local government
ministers. They are encouraged by the effort of the federal government
to accelerate infrastructure funding. Ministers also talked about
concerns related to program design and administration and the need to
ensure long-term funding is strategically aligned with provincial and
territorial priorities.
Ministers emphasized that there are implementation issues associated
with the national Municipal Waste Water Effluent Strategy, in particular
the need for dedicated long-term federal funding to meet the objectives
of the strategy. They will continue to collaborate with the Canadian
Council of Ministers of the Environment to address these implementation
issues.
Ministers will communicate their shared perspective on both these issues
to the Federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
The ministers agreed on the importance of constructive, cooperative
provincial, territorial and municipal relationships and once again
emphasized their desire to enhance the relationship they have with
provincial and territorial municipal associations. These partnerships
and collaboration will contribute to the development of innovative, new
initiatives and approaches to sustainable communities and
municipalities.
Other topics presented at the conference included the importance of the
democratic process, climate change activities related to the municipal
sector and municipal/Aboriginal engagement.
The 2010 annual meeting of Ministers Responsible for Local Government
will be hosted by the Province of Ontario.
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Media contact:
Bradley Power
Minister�s Conference Communications Lead
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-0857, 697-5216
BradleyPower@gov.nl.ca
2009 07 09
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