A big investment from the province at the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries offices in St. George.
The 2018-19 capital budget includes $470 thousand dollars for improvements and renovations at 107 Mount Pleasant Road.
The funding will go towards a new disinfection station for boats and vehicles, room for the Department of Energy and Resource Development to move in, and a compound big enough to store equipment from both departments.
Premier Brian Gallant says, “This investment will support the operations of the Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries and Energy and Resource Development departments, which are focused on growing these important sectors for the New Brunswick economy. “
In the meantime, the two provincial departments going under one roof is expected to save some taxpayer dollars.
Energy and Resource Development Minister Rick Doucet, who is also Minister for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Agriculture, says they are moving his offices together in St. George, “So it’s going to be all under one roof. It’s a good move, there’s definitely going to be some savings, some finances and certainly utilizing some assets that are under-utilized. When I first came into the department, I looked at these two buildings and said, ‘What do we have? Offices that are half full, is there any way that we can put them all together?’, and this is a great opportunity to make this happen and its going to save the taxpayer a lot of money down the road.”
Doucet says this is part of the Strategic Program Review, where the province is looking at every line where money can be saved.
He says there is already some interest in the old Natural Resources building, which will become a surplus property, and the move will avoid future costs for renovating it, as well as maximize office space.
