BILL 24

An Act to Amend the Municipalities Act

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, enacts as follows:

1 Section 1 of the Municipalities Act, chapter M-22 of the Revised Statutes, 1973, is amended by adding the following definition in alphabetical order:

“geophysical exploration” means any investigation of the subsurface of the land and includes

(a)          seismic operations,

(b)          gravimetric operations,

(c)          magnetic operations,

(d)          electrical operations,

(e)          geochemical operations,

(f)           test drilling, and

(g)          any other operation employed to determine geologic or other subsurface conditions;

2 The Act is amended by adding after subsection 25(8) the following:

25.1(1)       Where twenty-five or more residents of a local service district, or any area within a local service district, who are qualified to vote under the Elections Act, petition the Minister to allow for a meeting to consider consent for geophysical exploration within the local service district or any area within a local service district, the Minister shall within thirty days call a meeting as prescribed by regulation of those residents who, in the opinion of the Minister, are most affected by the proposal and are qualified to vote under the Elections Act.

25.1(2)       Where at the meeting held under subsection (1) at least

(a)          fifty people, or

(b)          thirty percent of the people,

who are eligible under subsection (1) to attend the meeting, whichever is the lesser, are in attendance, and a majority of those in attendance pass a resolution to deny consent for geophysical exploration within that local service district or any area within the local service district, this resolution is deemed to have the force and effect of a municipal denial of consent under the Oil and Natural Gas Act and regulations.