Provincial Government Announces New Municipal Infrastructure Program

Today, as part of Budget 2017, the Provincial Government introduced a new three-year municipal infrastructure program and a call for applications from interested communities. One hundred million dollars in provincial funding will be invested in municipal infrastructure over the next three years through the Multi-Year Capital Works ($70 million) and Municipal Capital Works ($30 million) programs.

In addition to the funding provided under this program, the Provincial Government continues to leverage federal funding to maximize infrastructure investment in this province by providing $35 million over the next two years to allow an investment of $60 million through the Small Communities Fund of the New Building Canada Fund.

In total these investments, along with already approved or submitted projects are expected to result in $209 million in expenditures on infrastructure projects in the upcoming fiscal year. The Provincial Government is anticipating the release of details from the Federal Government on its Phase 2 infrastructure plan and is positioned to take advantage of Newfoundland and Labrador’s full share.

In response to consultations with residents and stakeholders, the program’s new approach to cost-share ratios incentivizes regional collaboration through infrastructure and sharing of services. Municipal projects that support improved drinking water, wastewater and disaster mitigation initiatives will be funded on a 90/10 cost-share basis with the Provincial Government contributing the larger share. Additionally, unless the project already falls into the 90/10 category, projects which are regional in nature will qualify for a 10 per cent lower municipal cost shared ratio. The program also now includes cost-share funding for generators. For more information on the new cost-share ratios, see the backgrounder below.

Through the program’s new approach to cost-share ratios, approximately $10 million in savings is expected to be achieved over the next three years, which will be reinvested into the municipal infrastructure programs.

Quotes
“The new municipal infrastructure program delivers on our government’s vision for The Way Forward to advance regional collaboration through infrastructure and sharing of services and to leverage federal infrastructure funding. The program supports government’s priorities of strengthening municipal infrastructure, providing better access to higher quality water and wastewater systems, and enhancing disaster mitigation. In addition, we will provide communities with available funding information in advance so that capital funding is more predictable, allowing communities to better plan for longer-term funding options.”
Honourable Eddie Joyce
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment

“We’re glad to see the province make good on its commitment to leveraging federal infrastructure funding. We were concerned that Newfoundland and Labrador would not receive our share of the available federal funding because we did not have the required leveraging investment. This move ensures we will receive all of the significant federal funding available to the sector. In addition to the funding, being able to plan infrastructure investments effectively is critical. Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased that the continued multi-year capital works plan and the new step of pre-announcing intake dates for three years on other programs makes planning that much easier for municipalities.”
Karen Oldford
President, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador

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Learn more
Project applications for new Municipal Capital Works and Multi-Year Capital Works projects as well as Small Communities Fund projects are now being accepted – www.gov.nl.ca/ma.

Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL and @MAE_GovNL

Media contacts:

Lynn Robinson
Municipal Affairs and Environment
709-729-5449, 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Gail Woodfine
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador
709-753-6820
gwoodfine@municipalnl.ca

 

Backgrounder
Cost-share ratios under the Three Year Municipal Infrastructure Program

Project Type Population Municipal Share Provincial Share
Priority projects, i.e. water, waste water, disaster Less than 3,000 10% 90%
3,000 and 7,000 20% 80%
Greater than 7,000 30% 70%
Fire Vehicles and Equipment Less than 3,000 20% 80%
3,000 and 7,000 30% 70%
Greater than 7,000 40% 60%
Recreational projects, buildings, including fire halls All population bands 40% 60%
Roads and other funding requests All populations bands 50% 50%