The town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay is calling out continued delays in the processing of provincial permits that it says is holding up projects and causing extensive backlogs for contractors, developers and residents.
In a statement issued yesterday, the town says provincial permits are required under provincial legislation. That includes projects involving public safety systems, environmental protection, and water and wastewater infrastructure among others.
The town says the delays mean that contractors can miss out on accessing the labour they need since workers are likely to go elsewhere if they can’t secure the work they need.
Mayor Bert Pomeroy and his council have raised the matter “repeatedly” with “various provincial ministers” over the last year, but the problem persists.
Mayor Bert Pomeroy of Happy Valley-Goose Bay (via Bert Pomeroy Facebook)
The town says it has been advised that steps are being taken to address the backlog, including the expectation of additional resources this fall, current delays continue to stall development – a problem that is compounded by the region’s short construction season.
Pomeroy says development cannot continue to be hampered because of bottlenecks or lack of resources.
Province Taking Action to Address Delays
The provincial government says it is taking action to address the delays.
The province says it has identified some qualified candidates to fill a vacancy for a “design approval technician” in Corner Brook, and has posted an opening for one in Happy Valley-Goose Bay but there have been no takers.
The position will be reposted later this week.
The province says applications are also being reassigned to the Mount Pearl office where possible to help reduce backlogs and speed up processing times.
