Challenges to regional cooperation in Newfoundland and Labrador:
1. Community rivalries, competition, attachments (fear of loss of identity) and differences
2. Geography – can lead to reduced feasibility and levels of service and/or higher costs in some cases
3. Human resources - lack of volunteers, leadership, planning capacity and other resources to act on regional alternatives
Others:
- Resistance to uncertainty/change
- Debt and/or financial management issues
- Liability concerns
- Loss of staff/jobs, community facilities and control
- Lack of recognized history in regional service delivery in the province, awareness of regional options or local models
- Challenges associated with existing legislation (e.g. Regional Services Board and Regional Council structures) and the provincial feasibility study process
- Resistance to creating another level of government
- Staff or political turnover, resulting in a loss of established relationships
- Conflicting personalities
Source: Case Studies in Municipal Service Sharing in Newfoundland and Labrador by K. Vodden (2005)