News Release
Office of the Official Opposition

Sweeney says Minister Byrne not addressing infrastructure issues in Conception Bay North

October 12, 2005

"There are some serious infrastructure challenges being faced by municipalities in my district and surrounding areas," said Sweeney. "It is time for the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs to show a greater commitment to the infrastructure needs of towns and communities in this province by investing in essential projects."

Sweeney says an issue of utmost concern to the mayors of communities in the region is the necessary funding for a water study being commissioned by the joint councils. "It was deemed necessary by the mayors and government that a water study be conducted to assess the state of water systems in Conception Bay North. The joint councils have hired an engineering firm to conduct the study, but government continues to drag its heels in providing the necessary funding to move forward.

"Additionally, serious problems have been identified for some time with regards to the sewer system in the Town of Victoria. The town has been waiting over two years for Minister Byrne to move forward with the lagoon project that was promised by the previous Liberal administration. There are serious environmental concerns in the area of the salmon river and flooding that results from the inadequate infrastructure that presently exists. It is time for government to take action and fund this project."

The Liberal MHA says that residents of Harbour Grace have been waiting far too long for government to allocate funding to upgrade water and sewer along Harvey Street. The road, formerly the Conception Bay Highway, is in a horrible state of disrepair and government has an obligation to repair it following the opening of the new highway. This project is now several years behind schedule and government must take action before further damage is caused to vehicles using the road. Government cannot expect residents to fund the repairs to a road that was part of the provincial highway system until two years ago.

"These are just a number of the important issues currently facing municipalities in the Conception Bay North region. Other serious problems have also been identified with respect to garbage collection, highway infrastructure, water and sewer and lack of government services in the region. I will continue to raise these issues in the coming months and I look forward to receiving a commitment from the Minister that he will finally take action."

Media Contact:
Jeff Mackey
Caucus Communications
Office of the Official Opposition
709-729-6427