L-R -- Riverside-Albert Deputy Mayor Adrian Kennie, St. Antoine Mayor Ronald Cormier, Minister of Local Government the Hon. Carmel Robichaud, Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore, Hampton Mayor Jim Hovey and Hillsborough Councillor George Johnston Rob with Mayor Hovey and Minister Carmel Robichaud at the Comex Parking site Rob and Mayor Hovey wait with Minister Robichaud in the Comex bus shelter Five New Brunswick Municipilaties to Benefit from Gas Tax Fund for Green Infrastructure Hampton, New Brunswick – April 25, 2008 – The Town of Hampton, along with Dorchester, Hillsborough, Riverside-Albert and Saint-Antoine, will undertake essential improvements to local infrastructure after receiving their first payments under the Canada-New Brunswick Agreement on the Transfer of Federal Gas Tax Revenues and the Provincial Gas Tax Transfer Top-up Fund. MP Rob Moore made the announcement today. “Our government is proud to be New Brunswick’s partner in helping municipalities respond to their important infrastructure needs,” said Mr. Moore. “By investing in priorities such as wastewater treatment and water systems, we are moving forward on our commitment to work hand in hand with New Brunswickers.” These New Brunswick municipalities will receive their first payments from the Gas Tax Fund (GTF), totalling $660,548. Together, they will receive gas tax funding of $1,651,366 by 2010. They will use these funds for environmentally sustainable infrastructure projects such as wastewater treatment; community-energy systems; solid-waste management; public transit; capacity building; and active transportation, including local roads and bridges. “Public infrastructure is the backbone of our communities,” said Mr. Moore. “The Gas Tax Fund helps to achieve the national environmental outcomes of cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through capital investments in areas such as public transit, water and wastewater systems, and solid waste management.” The Province of New Brunswick will receive $116.1 million from the GTF from 2005 to 2010, to which the Government of New Brunswick will add $30 million. Following Budget 2007, a further $178.5 million in GTF will flow to the Province of New Brunswick from 2010 to 2014, for a total of $294.6 million in federal funding over nine years. To receive its first payment under the GTF, each municipality submitted a five-year Capital Investment Plan for review by the province, and signed an agreement with the New Brunswick Department of Local Government to implement the plan. Investment collaboration with provinces and municipalities is a key feature of the federal approach to infrastructure. In December 2007, the governments of Canada and New Brunswick announced the signing of the Building Canada Framework Agreement. With this agreement, the Government of Canada committed to an investment of more than $540 million towards infrastructure needs in New Brunswick from 2007 to 2014. In addition, in Budget 2008, the Government of Canada announced that the Gas Tax Fund will become permanent from 2014, at $2 billion per year. This will facilitate long-term planning by municipalities. Rob Moore is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and the MP for Fundy Royal. List of Projects: Dorchester – First Payment of $77,759 – Total payment by 2010 of $194,398 The Village of Dorchester will undertake projects under the local roads and bridges category. Hampton – First Payment of $325,790 – Total payment by 2010 of $814,475 The Town of Hampton will undertake projects under the community energy systems, local roads and bridges, public transit, wastewater and water categories. Hillsborough – First Payment of $104,984 – Total payment by 2010 of $262,458 The Village of Hillsborough will undertake projects under the capacity building, community energy systems and wastewater categories. Riverside-Albert – First Payment of $32,034 – Total payment by 2010 of $80,083 The Village of Riverside-Albert will undertake projects under the community energy systems category. Saint-Antoine – First Payment of $119,981 – Total payment by 2010 of $299,952 The Village of Saint-Antoine will undertake projects under the wastewater and water categories. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Sean Phelan Special Assistant – Communications Office of Rob Moore, M.P. Fundy Royal (613) 996-2316