BILL 61

An Act to Amend the Environmental Trust Fund Act

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

1 The Environmental Trust Fund Act, chapter 151 of the Revised Statutes, 2011, is amended by adding after section 3 the following:

Strategic plan

3.1( 1) The Minister of Environment and Climate Change shall prepare a five-year strategic plan for the Environmental Trust Fund.

3.1( 2) The strategic plan referred to in subsection (1) shall contain the following information:

(a)  the goals and objectives of the Environmental Trust Fund; and

(b)  the eligibility and assessment criteria governing applications for funding from the Environmental Trust Fund.

3.1( 3) The Minister of Environment and Climate Change shall make public the strategic plan referred to in subsection (1) by publishing it online.

3.1( 4) The Minister of Environment and Climate Change shall review and update the strategic plan referred to in subsection (1) during the fifth year of its term.

Annual report

3.2( 1) The Minister of Environment and Climate Change shall prepare an annual report on the administration of the Environmental Trust Fund in the preceding fiscal year containing

(a)  a list and description of the projects that received funding,

(b)  an evaluation of the projects that received funding,

(c)  the amounts paid, grouped by geographic area, and

(d)  an evaluation of whether the Environmental Trust Fund is meeting the goals and objectives set out in the strategic plan referred to in section 3.1.

3.2( 2) The Minister of Environment and Climate Change shall lay before the Legislative Assembly the annual report prepared in accordance with subsection (1).