The B.C. government says there will be “no substantive change” to Agricultural Land Commission decisions on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and in the Okanagan under new legislation introduced today.
The B.C. government says there will be “no substantive change” to Agricultural Land Commission decisions on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and in the Okanagan under new legislation introduced today.
The bill, however, will give the commission more “flexibility” when making decisions on protecting land in the North, Interior and Kootenay regions where growing seasons are shorter and there are lower-value crops.
The government also said there could be further changes to regulations to allow “new, limited, value-added farming activities, such as food processing on farmland.”
The bill divides the Agricultural Land Reserve into two zones that recognize the province's regional differences, Core Review Minister Bill Bennett said.
In Zone One, which includes the Island, South Coast and the Okanagan, the commission will continue to base its decisions on the original principle of protecting farmland, he said.
In Zone Two, which includes the North, Interior and Kootenay regions, the commission will also consider “economic, cultural and social values as well as regional and community planning objectives.” Other unspecified considerations will be prescribed in regulations.
Bennett said the two zones better reflect the diverse nature of the province, where 10 per cent of ALR land and 85 per cent of farm revenue is found in the southern part of the province.
“We essentially recommended no substantive changes in Zone One,” Bennett said.
