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IndustryMining7TuesdayJune112013RingsPharmacyLtd.inHayRiverinviteseveryonetojoininthefestivitiesJune21-222013PH874-67446CourtoreilleSt.Suite1X0E1G2ninthefestiv6CourtoreilleSt.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGCitingregulatoryuncer-taintyinfrastructuregapslandaccessrestrictionsandunsettledlandclaimsaskeyfactorsinthelowlevelofgrassrootsmineralexplora-tionactivityintheterritorythenewNWTMineralDe-velopmentStrategyhopestoshedlightonwaystore-brandtheterritoryasagoodplacetodobusiness.The78-pagePathwaystoMineralDevelopmentreporttabledlastweekintheLeg-islativeAssemblyisaprod-uctofthecombinedeffortsoftheGNWTandNWTandNunavutChamberofMinesformedfromover40meet-ingswith65differentorga-nizationsfromindustrytoregulatorsandAboriginalgovernments.Listedasthedrivingcon-cernbehindthestrategysformationisthedeclineofexistingmineswithoutoth-erstakingtheirplace.Reservesaredecliningandthefouroperatingminesarescheduledforclosureoverthenextveto15years.Itisclearthatmoremineralde-positswillhavetobediscov-eredanddevelopedtoensurethatNorthernerscontinuetobenetfromaviableminingsector.Thelowlevelofgrass-rootsexplorationactivityisasignicantconcernthere-portstates.Giventhelimitedlifeexpectancyoftheoperatingminesandthefactthattheprojectscurrentlyinthead-vancedstagesofexplorationordevelopmentwouldemploylessthanhalfofthecurrentminingworkforcerevital-izinggrassrootsexplorationmustbeapriority.Thestrategyrecommendsthegovernmenttakeactioninavarietyofareasfromengag-inginaggressivemarketingtoinvestingininfrastructurecreatinganewregulatoryen-vironmentacceleratinglanduseplanningmoreeffectiveconsultationwithAboriginalgovernmentsandfurther-ingtrainingforemployeesinminesandrelatedsectors.Keywithinthoseisregula-toryreformwiththerecom-mendationfortheGNWTtoworkwithAboriginalgov-ernmentsonimprovingtheprocessforproponentstogetaccesstoAboriginallandsaswellassettingoutastan-dardsetoftermsforclassesofprojectsbasedonscaleratherthaneachbeingsubjecttoadhocnegotiation.Partofthewaytoimprovetheregulatoryclimatethepanelnotesisbycompletingoutstandinglandclaimsandlanduseplans.Accordingtothereport60ofthe65proj-ectssenttoenvironmentalimpactreviewwereinareasofunsettledclaims.Landandwaterboardof-cialsbelievethatcomplet-ingthelandclaimsprocesswouldhaveasalutaryeffectontheefciencyoftheregu-latoryregimeitsaid.AswellthepanelsuggestsreviewingtheNWTProtectedAreasStrategyPAS.Industryhaslongidenti-eduncertaintyaboutpro-tectedareasasasignicantdeterrenttoinvestmentintheNWTthereportstates.Itwasthesecondmostnega-tiveattributeinthemostre-centFraserInstitutesurveyofminingcompanies.ItrecommendsprovidingfundstoAboriginalgovern-mentsforlanduseandpro-tectedareasplanningandStrategyaimstoincreasemineralexplorationinNWTGovernmenthopestore-brandNWTasgoodplacetodobusinessdeningtheultimateextentofthePASnetwork.Theopen-endedcharacterofthecurrentprocessleadstosignicantuncertaintysaidthereport.MLAsaysstrategyrecommendsfoxowningthehenhouseThoughgrantingthestrategyisanexcellentportrayalofin-dustryperspectivesWeledehMLABobBromleywascriti-calofthereportlastThursdayintheLegislaturecallingitanimbalancedagendaofcorpo-rateprioritieswithoutmuchreferencetotheenvironmentorpublicinterest.Thebiggestmantraismar-keting.Publicdismayatenvi-ronmentaldegradationandlackofcorporateaccountabilityforcostsofcleanupareseenasproblemsofpublicmispercep-tiontobeschmoozedawayBromleysaid.Recommendationpriori-tieshammeronthenotionthattheNWTmustbeseenaseagerforanydevelopmentatanycostgreasedthroughadisassembledregulatorysys-temwithgovernment-fundedstafftaxpayersubsidiesandre-laxedsocio-economicrequire-ments.Thisisthefoxowningthehenhouse.HerequestedtheindustryministerDavidRamsaygoseekaperspectivefromare-spectedpublicinterestpolicygrouptoaddtothemixbeforedevelopinganalstrategy.Ramsaysaidhewouldwel-comecontinuedinputfromMLAspriortoandduringtheactionplanbeingrolledoutthisfall.Webelievethisisjustthebeginning.ItsthebeginningoftheNorthwestTerrito-riesgettingoutseekingthatinvestmentinourterritory.WehavetogetmoreinvestmentmoreexplorationdollarshereintheNorthwestTerritoriessothatcompaniescancomeherendthenextminessothatwecanemployourresidentsintheNorthwestTerritorieshesaid.Wetalkedtoolongabouthighunemploymentratesespeciallyinoursmallercom-munities.Weneedtodosome-thingaboutthatandifwedontdosomethingaboutitnobodyisgoingtodothatforus.PhotoDominionDiamondCorp.WithexistingmineswaningintheterritorysuchastheEkatidiamondminepicturedabovetheNWTgovernmentisstrategizinghowtoenticemoreinvestmentbyminingcompaniesintheNorth.