Alders
The following excerpt is a conversation from the Nova Scotia legislature Hansard reports for May 14, 2008 during which the MLAs were considering the estimates of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal when the Assembly is in the Committee of the Whole and members of the Opposition are allotted time to question the minister. (During this time the minister has key members of staff to assist in the explanation oft he numbers or policies related to the estimates). Nova Scotia Legislature - Hansard Transcript (nslegislature.ca)
Mr. Chairman, again I want to bring this to the attention of the minister and I'm sure - I'm just thinking of my colleague, the member for Digby-Annapolis - I want to talk about the alders, the shrubs and the tall grass along our roads. Again, I often get calls from people asking when the department will be cutting the alders, or the shrubs, or the tall grass near the side of the roads. It certainly is a safety issue. When you're trying to pull out of a driveway, unfortunately you can't see. We know what danger that could bring upon. Also when you're driving along the road, and all of a sudden an animal runs across the road in front of your vehicle, we know that certainly could present some problems as well.
Usually at home, Mr. Chairman, and throughout the summer, Mr. Minister, I see your staff trimming the side of the roads and usually this is only done once throughout the entire summer or early Fall. So my question to the minister, is it the department's policy to mow or trim the side of the road only once a year by your department, or if there's no policy? I'm just curious if there is a policy, and what it is if there is one.
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, thank you to the member opposite for the question. The member would know that there are two ways that brush cutting and ditching - the brush cutting particularly and the bush cutting he's talking about - gets done in this province. One is through our own staff and equipment. In fact, I mentioned in my opening comments yesterday that we're purchasing two more pieces of this type of equipment that's required in this province. So we would have our own staff, with our own equipment, who would go out and do a lot of that work. We also, through the RIM money, the $20 million RIM funds that are available, would hire private contractors as well, in parts of the province, to do the type of work the honourable member is bringing forward but, generally speaking, yes, I guess our policy would be that we would do that type of work once a year. I would want to say as well that if there are specific areas that the honourable member is thinking about, or if there were specific situations throughout the summer that are either dangerous or the member feels are hazardous, or the citizens do, I would encourage them to contact the local depot, the area manager supervisor, to bring it to their attention because I'm sure if that situation has arisen, they will do all they can to ensure our roads are safe, but basically we will do it once a year unless otherwise required.
MR. GAUDET: Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the information. I know my time is winding down for this part.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Two minutes.
MR. GAUDET: I just want to touch on the RIM funding, how much RIM funding is in the department's budget this year?
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, I just want to say, and I'm sure the honourable member would agree, of all the initiatives within the Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal budget, I think the piece I see that's the most well received, at least in rural Nova Scotia, is
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this RIM money. When it comes to ditching and gravelling, some guardrail work, the work the honourable member is talking about, I think that's well received in rural Nova Scotia. In fact, I hear in spreader patching, I hear a lot of good comments from citizens about the great work that's done with the RIM money. I will say that the program was $9 million, but this year the budget will be $20 million for that, and I think that we'll probably see a lot of good results from that expenditure of $20 million, right across the province, and I think citizens will agree that it's money well spent.
MR. GAUDET: Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to hear that the RIM funding has gone up. I guess with this additional funding - I'm just curious - will the field offices across the province receive the same level of RIM funding this year as last year, or will they be expecting an increase in their RIM funding budget?
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, as I said, when RIM started, the original budget was $9 million. It's up to $20 million now. It was $20 million last year. So those areas would receive the same money this year as they did last year, yes.
Mr. Chairman, again I want to bring this to the attention of the minister and I'm sure - I'm just thinking of my colleague, the member for Digby-Annapolis - I want to talk about the alders, the shrubs and the tall grass along our roads. Again, I often get calls from people asking when the department will be cutting the alders, or the shrubs, or the tall grass near the side of the roads. It certainly is a safety issue. When you're trying to pull out of a driveway, unfortunately you can't see. We know what danger that could bring upon. Also when you're driving along the road, and all of a sudden an animal runs across the road in front of your vehicle, we know that certainly could present some problems as well.
Usually at home, Mr. Chairman, and throughout the summer, Mr. Minister, I see your staff trimming the side of the roads and usually this is only done once throughout the entire summer or early Fall. So my question to the minister, is it the department's policy to mow or trim the side of the road only once a year by your department, or if there's no policy? I'm just curious if there is a policy, and what it is if there is one.
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, thank you to the member opposite for the question. The member would know that there are two ways that brush cutting and ditching - the brush cutting particularly and the bush cutting he's talking about - gets done in this province. One is through our own staff and equipment. In fact, I mentioned in my opening comments yesterday that we're purchasing two more pieces of this type of equipment that's required in this province. So we would have our own staff, with our own equipment, who would go out and do a lot of that work. We also, through the RIM money, the $20 million RIM funds that are available, would hire private contractors as well, in parts of the province, to do the type of work the honourable member is bringing forward but, generally speaking, yes, I guess our policy would be that we would do that type of work once a year. I would want to say as well that if there are specific areas that the honourable member is thinking about, or if there were specific situations throughout the summer that are either dangerous or the member feels are hazardous, or the citizens do, I would encourage them to contact the local depot, the area manager supervisor, to bring it to their attention because I'm sure if that situation has arisen, they will do all they can to ensure our roads are safe, but basically we will do it once a year unless otherwise required.
MR. GAUDET: Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the information. I know my time is winding down for this part.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Two minutes.
MR. GAUDET: I just want to touch on the RIM funding, how much RIM funding is in the department's budget this year?
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, I just want to say, and I'm sure the honourable member would agree, of all the initiatives within the Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal budget, I think the piece I see that's the most well received, at least in rural Nova Scotia, is
[Page 567]
this RIM money. When it comes to ditching and gravelling, some guardrail work, the work the honourable member is talking about, I think that's well received in rural Nova Scotia. In fact, I hear in spreader patching, I hear a lot of good comments from citizens about the great work that's done with the RIM money. I will say that the program was $9 million, but this year the budget will be $20 million for that, and I think that we'll probably see a lot of good results from that expenditure of $20 million, right across the province, and I think citizens will agree that it's money well spent.
MR. GAUDET: Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to hear that the RIM funding has gone up. I guess with this additional funding - I'm just curious - will the field offices across the province receive the same level of RIM funding this year as last year, or will they be expecting an increase in their RIM funding budget?
MR. SCOTT: Mr. Chairman, as I said, when RIM started, the original budget was $9 million. It's up to $20 million now. It was $20 million last year. So those areas would receive the same money this year as they did last year, yes.