Surplus Crown Property Disposal

More than 130 non-profit organizations received donations of surplus material and equipment in accordance with the Surplus Crown Property Disposal Act, Transportation and Public Works Minister Clifford Huskilson said today.

In addition, during fiscal 1997-98, sales of assets no longer used by government netted more than $640,000 -- money that is legislated to go toward paying down the province's debt. In the past two years, the program has contributed about $1.4 million toward debt repayment.

"Every school board across the province has received computers through the NovaKnowledge Association, Computers for Schools (Nova Scotia) program," said Mr. Huskilson. "More than 400 computers will help students who would otherwise not have access to computers in their schools. It's important that our children have every opportunity to improve their computer skills."

Many other non-profit groups benefited from the disposal program, receiving items ranging from office equipment to refrigerators.

The Surplus Crown Property Disposal program uses various disposal methods for goods and property. In fiscal 1997-98, they included:

• eight real property transactions ($243,500)
• 95 auctions ($174,412)
• 14 public tenders ($10,872)
• 134 non-profit donations
• 28 transactions when material was deemed scrap waste
• 21 transactions of computer equipment to NovaKnowledge Association
• 103 transactions of surplus land and right-of-way ($321,994)

The dollar figures represent the amount before disposal costs. More details are given in the Surplus Crown Property Disposal Report covering the period between April 1, 1997, and March 31, 1998.

"I am proud of this program's success," said Mr. Huskilson. "It helps chip away at our debt and it contributes to so many worthwhile groups,"