Qujannamiik. Uvunga Paul Quassa.
[Speaker speaks in Inuktitut]
I'm Paul Quassa, chairman of the Nunavut Planning Commission, and I'm here today with Sharon Ehaloak, our executive director, and Adrian Boyd, the director of policy.
On behalf of the Nunavut Planning Commission, I'd like to thank the committee for the privilege of speaking directly with you today. The Nunavut Planning Commission is an institution of public government established under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The commission is primarily responsible for the implementation of article 11, land use planning under NLCA.
As a public agency, we conduct our operations in a fashion similar to that of any land use planning department you may have encountered at the municipal level. Our nationally certified, registered, professional land use planning staff ensure that best practices and emerging trends of the profession guide our land use planning activities. These planning activities are designed to implement our unique legal obligations set out under the NLCA.
The Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act, “the act”, adds the long-awaited clarity required by the commission to fulfill its role as the gatekeeper of Nunavut's regulatory process. Under the act, the commission will be the single entry point into the regulatory system for Nunavut. This of course is where land use planning was always meant to be.
This additional duty is a monumental task. However, it eliminates 20 years of confusion and debate over where the regulatory process starts in Nunavut. Therefore, when the act comes into force, the regulatory process in Nunavut will be instantly streamlined. It is important to note that the NLCA requires that the objective of the land use planning process be the development of planning policies, priorities, and objectives regarding the conservation, development, management, and use of land in the Nunavut settlement area and the preparation of use plans to guide and direct resource use and development in the Nunavut settlement area. The commission is responsible for the implementation of its approved land use plans.
The NLCA also requires that in the development of planning policies, priorities, and objectives, factors such as the following be taken into account: economic opportunities and needs; community infrastructural requirements, including housing, health, education, social services, and corridors; cultural factors and priorities; environmental protection and management needs, including wildlife conservation, protection, and management; and energy requirements, sources, and availability.
Land use plans developed under the NLCA shall reflect the priorities and values of the residents, must give great weight to the views and wishes of all Nunavut municipalities, and must take into account input from appropriate federal and territorial government agencies, designated Inuit organizations, communities, and the general public.
All of these interests must be taken into account for an area that includes 1.9 million square kilometres of land with vast economic potential, sensitive and unique Arctic wildlife and habitat, pristine freshwater reserves, and thousands of kilometres of Canada's marine coastline.
According to the Conference Board of Canada's Centre for the North, mining production in Canada's northern regions could nearly double by 2020. Challenges for Canada's north include a “clunky regulatory process”. Discussion needs to be focused on environmental stewardship and respect for aboriginal rights in order for projects to be developed sustainably.
With the implementation of the act and the development of the Nunavut land use plan, many of these concerns can be addressed. Land use planning, when appropriately funded, is capable of addressing concerns raised by the Conference Board of Canada, Inuit, Nunavut municipalities, environmental agencies, industry, and all Canadians. Through land use plans, we are able to bring certainty to investors by addressing the age-old debate of conservation versus development. As you can see from the NLCA obligations I have already mentioned, land use planning is expected to tackle competing interests in land use head-on.
The act creates significant new legal obligations for the commission. These obligations require organizational changes, which will have financial, human resources, and technological implications that need to be addressed to support the commission's transition.
The requirements under the act will change and add to the current operational task of the organization. Being established as a single entry point into the regulatory system will create a major shift to the conformity determination obligations established under the NLCA.
In essence, the commission becomes the conductor of the regulatory process. The Nunavut Impact Review Board, the Nunavut Water Board, and government agencies and regulators form the orchestra; as conductor, the commission directs the flow of projects into the environmental and regulatory review process.
In addition, the establishment of legal timelines, an online multilingual public registry, and other technical and language services will seriously increase demands and workloads for the commission. At present the commission is constrained by its existing human and financial resources and is not currently able to take steps required to prepare for implementation of the act.
It is important for me to emphasize that the commission embraces the new opportunities that expand our public service role. We believe the new obligations will bring clarity to the regulatory process and promote investment, create awareness, and maintain a high level of environmental stewardship in Nunavut. We are excited to see the act advancing and are committed to its success.
That said, this organization has been critically underfunded for nearly a decade. Industry and Inuit have told us that the land use planning process takes too long, and we agree. However, without additional resources, the commission is helpless to respond.
Over the past 90 days the commission has consulted with nearly half of the communities in Nunavut on the draft Nunavut land use plan. During our consultation on the draft Nunavut land use plan, Inuit, Nunavut municipalities, and hunters' and trappers' organizations have all rung alarm bells over the development of a land use plan that applies only to the Nunavut settlement area. They all insist that the jurisdiction of the commission must expand to apply to the entire marine area along the east coast of Baffin Island and to the part of Hudson Bay that lies within the Nunavut territory yet outside of the Nunavut settlement area.
The commission believes that land use planning under the NLCA and the act could form the foundation for a world-class regulatory system that is envied by all nations. However, without appropriate financial and human resources and the expansion of the commission's jurisdiction to include all land, water, and marine areas within the Nunavut territory, the Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act, in our view, will miss the mark.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to talk to you today.
Qujannamiik.