The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, applauds the recommendations outlined in the Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador’s performance audit on Crown lands administration. The recommendations closely align with the Provincial Government’s bold plan to transform Crown lands administration and enforcement, and decisive action on all recommendations is already occurring.
This government is aware of systemic problems in Crown lands management and has been taking substantive actions to effectively manage Crown lands’ administration, including extended illegal occupation of public land. This is why the Provincial Government has already introduced the most bold and significant amendments since the Lands Act was passed nearly five decades ago.
The Provincial Government has been removing the barriers people face when applying for, or securing property title to, Crown lands. Many of the concerns outlined in the report will be addressed through upcoming legislative amendments to the Lands Act this fall, recently announced measures to transform Crown lands approvals and access, and other ongoing initiatives.
Major legislative and policy changes include new tools for securing land and clarifying title, innovative pathways to housing security, and a simplified and streamlined Crown lands application process.
Ongoing initiatives related to enforcement, policy updates, oversight and reporting are already in place as the department continues to review policy to improve and modernize Crown lands management, service delivery, application processing times, and enforcement. A new referral policy will be initiated to improve consistency and reduce wait times for applications that require review from multiple departments and agencies.
The department is improving the provincial Land Use Atlas to ensure a more complete and accurate system and will continue working with other departments and interested parties to address issues related to land systems, land registration and title management.
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“The Auditor General’s report clearly and definitively validates the Provincial Government’s ongoing work to transform Crown lands. We thank her for her thoughtful recommendations, which strongly support our mandate to continue making bold, practical, and unprecedented changes to Crown lands administration. We have already created innovative pathways to housing security and are providing new tools for securing residential Crown land. This work will continue as we strive for a modernized, streamlined, balanced Crown lands system for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
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Learn more
Upcoming Legislation to Allow for Swift Provincial Government Dispossession of Crown Lands
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