AMHERST – The independent review panel on the province’s Regional Development Authorities released its findings Wednesday, proposing a merged network that would put Cumberland County’s interests on the same page as Colchester, East Hants and Halifax.
The report called for the province’s economic developments organizations to be called Regional Enterprise Networks [REN] to reflect their role as regional connectors and facilitators of economic development, the report read, and places responsibility of the RENs on the municipalities and province.
If approved, this would mean the Cumberland, Colchester and East Hants regional development associations would be merged into one REN that also encompasses communities in the Musquodoboit Valley area of the Halifax Regional Municipality.
“One thing is for sure. That is that we need to ensure that the interests the Cumberland region in general don't get lost in the shuffle,” Cumberland County’s Mayors and Warden said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon. “We will all need to work together with our municipal partners here in Cumberland County to ensure we take the best course forward.”
The report is available online at http://gov.ns.ca/econ/rda_review_2012.asp.
