Any comprehensive engagement on legislation must recognize the unique perspectives that stakeholders with specific expertise can bring to the table.
As part of its targeted review of the NWT’s oil and gas legislation, the GNWT reached out to these groups with meetings geared specifically to hearing and recording their input.
Three sessions were held tailored to major stakeholder groups: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), industry, and regulatory boards — including various boards created under federal legislation regulating many of the environmental aspects of natural resource extraction.
NGO Session
The NGO session was held on April 4. Teleconferencing was offered to NGOs across the territory. The three-hour session consisted of a short presentation on the basics of the changes being suggested and continued with a roundtable discussion on the legislation, and oil and gas generally.
A key theme throughout was the need for financial responsibility and environmental protection to be considered in the realm of oil and gas.
Four organizations attended the session on the day, and a fifth sat down for a one-on-one meeting with project leadership at an earlier date.
Regulatory Authorities
A meeting to get feedback from this experienced group of regulatory professionals was held on April 11 in Yellowknife. Again,teleconferencing was available to ensure boards from across the territory could take part.
The representatives went through each proposed change from the engagement paper meticulously. Lively discussions on the best ways to move forward continued throughout the three-hour session.
Ten people representing five regulatory authorities attended the session, with pages of feedback brought back for consideration in the final product.
Industry
The industry session was held March 20 in Calgary during the Arctic Oil and Gas Symposium — the premier event for national and international petroleum companies to talk northern oil and gas.
Twelve individuals representing 11 different organizations took advantage of the three-hour session to ask questions and provide comments to project leadership.
The feedback from the group largely focused on ensuring new legislation brings certainty to the regulatory regime in the NWT, and how the legislative project could affect current interest holders.
Engagement Deadline Approaching
The public engagement phase of this project ends May 4 at 5pm.
Even though community visits and stakeholder sessions have ended, there are still many was to HAVE YOUR SAY in this comprehensive engagement before the deadline.
Take part in any of the following ways:
- Complete our survey, leave a comment or ask a question online
- Email us
- Call us: 1-867-777-7481
- Fax us: 1- 867-777-5105
- Mail us:
Government of the Northwest Territories
Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment — Petroleum Resources Division
# 64 Mackenzie Road
PO Box 3019
Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0
For more information
Mike Westwick
Communications Officer
Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
1-867-767-9202 ext.63039