Hon. Roger Melanson
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
December 2015
2016-2017 Capital Budget Estimates
Ministerial Statement
Mr. Chairman, as Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI), I am pleased to open my department’s capital estimates in the House today. These estimates reflect our ongoing commitment to invest in public infrastructure to create jobs, grow the economy and carry out much needed work on existing and aging infrastructure.
A total of $413.3 million will be invested by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in the coming year in road and bridge construction, rehabilitation and maintenance along with building upgrades to improve safety, sustain infrastructure create jobs, and produce long-term energy savings.
This capital budget comes as we face important choices. Every choice we are making is aimed at improving New Brunswick’s future by fostering job creation, improving the province’s financial situation, and improving the lives of our families.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure manages much of the infrastructure that New Brunswickers rely on every day to travel or to receive government services.
We’re working to invest strategically so that our investments today will enable and encourage more private-sector investment in New Brunswick’s economy.
We know how important a safe and efficient transportation network is. It gets commuters to work and then home again to be with their loved ones, it helps our children get to and from schools, and allows us to safely access needed health care services. It gets our goods to market both here in New Brunswick, as well as to other provinces and the United States and is used by the tourists who visit our province each year.
That’s why the Department continues to focus on conducting its efforts in accordance with the principles of asset management and recognizes the work of the Auditor General.
Recent months have been busy ones for employees of our department who have had to contend with unexpected damages to roads, bridges and culverts in various areas of New Brunswick affected by recent severe weather events.
We will continue to make capital improvements in public buildings and we will continue to invest in our energy retrofit program to produce enduring energy savings.
Our government is committed to making strategic investments in infrastructure renewal that will maximize economic benefits, support economic growth in New Brunswick and ensure public safety.
The capital budget process acts on our platform commitment to develop a multi-year capital plan by projecting investments that will be made through to 2018-2019.
Throughout our mandate, we will continue to focus on infrastructure investments to make important upgrades and rehabilitation create jobs and move our province forward.
I look forward to providing additional details when the department will present estimates for debate.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.