Ontario Launches First Phase of Municipal Infrastructure Strategy

TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure has announced that the first phase of its Municipal Infrastructure Strategy will include capacity-building funds for small, rural and northern municipalities and $51 million for critical repairs.

"All three orders of government - federal, provincial and municipal - need to work together to fund, build and maintain the infrastructure that makes Ontario communities safe, efficient and prosperous," said AMO President Gary McNamara.  "The Province's decision to help small municipalities fund asset management planning confirms a commitment to approaching infrastructure needs in partnership, and to investing wisely."

The first phase of the Ontario Government's Municipal Infrastructure Strategy will provide $60 million over three years to municipalities for municipal asset management planning and critical repairs. The funding includes:

• Up to $9 million to help small, rural and northern communities meet capacity challenges to develop long term municipal asset management plans;
• $750,000 over 3 years to Service Managers who have less than 4,000 social housing units to allow for asset management planning activities;
• $51 million to fund critical repairs to priority infrastructure identified through asset management; and
• A guide and web tool to help municipalities complete their asset management initiatives to be eligible for provincial funding.

Ontario's Building Together plan signaled that long-term asset management plans would be a requirement under future funding programs for municipal infrastructure.  A recent Provincial-Municipal Roads and Bridges Review also emphasized the need for municipal asset management plans to guide investment.  AMO supports municipal asset management, and urged the province to provide funding to ensure that all municipalities had the capacity to prepare them.

AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario's 444 municipal governments.  AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada's political system.  

SOURCE: Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Brian Lambie, AMO Media Contact, 416-729-5425, [email protected]
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