NL municipalities granted enhanced access to Crown lands
Published on November 30, 2016
TC MEDIA
A new policy announced by Premier Dwight Ball today will help municipalities gain access to Crown lands within their municipal planning boundaries for economic development purposes.
Towns will be offered long-term leases with flexible payment options, including deferral of payments until the development is generating revenue.
In a news release, Ball said municipalities can acquire Crown lands over a longer term, with less risk, and without the financial burden of having to pay the full market value upfront.
“Municipalities will benefit from revenue collected through from new developments, the provincial government will receive full market value for Crown lands, and residents will benefit from enhanced economic growth,” Ball said.
The provincial government receives as many as 100,000 inquiries each year about the Crown lands, which makes up 88 per cent of the landmass of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The new policy and its associated terms are responsive to feedback received from Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL), the news release stated.
“Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador has consistently advocated for easier access to Crown lands. This initiative will see Crown lands within municipal planning areas put to good use for economic development purposes,” MNL president Karen Oldford said in the news release.