News release

Nova Scotians Continue to Benefit from Government Surplus Items

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (Oct. 2007 - Feb. 2021)

Students, community groups and non-profit organizations across the province, continue to benefit from the government's surplus property disposal policy.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal's Surplus Crown Property Disposal Report was tabled in the legislature today, April 13. The report outlines how surplus materials were disposed of during the last fiscal year.

"This government is committed to running a tight financial ship and we are determined not to waste anything," said Bill Estabrooks, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "Our inventory control staff do a great job of getting our surplus items out where they can still do some good."

The main beneficiary in 2010 was the Computers for Schools Program, which received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of used computer equipment. The list included 2,538 computers, 1,259 keyboards, 815 monitors, 657 printers, and 398 laptops. The equipment was refurbished and put into schools throughout Nova Scotia.

Graham Creighton Junior High School in Cherry Brook was one of the schools on the receiving end of the surplus equipment.

"The new computers are faster than the ones we had, and they will make it easier to get our work done," said Justin McCrae, a Grade 9 student at the school. "The computers are very helpful because a lot of students prefer typing their work instead of handwriting."

Non-profit and community groups can apply to receive other surplus equipment. The report lists thousands of items, including chairs, tables, desks and filing cabinets, that were donated to 94 non-profit or community organizations in 2010.

The revenue outlined in the report is generated by the sale of surplus land and equipment by public tender or public auctions. The department's heavy equipment auction was the largest revenue generator, bringing in $561,491. Sale of property, such as land and buildings, brought in $195,568.79, and auctions of other surplus equipment raised $172,721.60. All profits will be used to reduce the provincial deficit, improving Nova Scotia's bottom line.

Surplus items are distributed under the authority of the Surplus Crown Property Disposal Act. The 11 categories of surplus items listed in the report are two-way radios donated to volunteer fire departments and ground search and rescue groups, items sold at public auction, heavy equipment sold at public auction, items sold through public tender, items donated to non-profit, non-government agencies, material sent for recycling, computer equipment for the Computer for Schools program, scrap waste, equipment donated to public school boards and surplus equipment used in school renovations and construction.

The full report is available on the Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal website at www.gov.ns.ca/tran/publications/SCPDR_2010-11.pdf .