Agriculture minister amends ALR proposals but bill would still divide B.C. into two zones

NEWS — Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick today introduced amendments to a controversial bill that would change the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Letnick said the amendments to Bill 24 come as a result of feedback from the public and leaders in the agriculture sector. The bill has been heavily criticized throughout the province, including in Kamloops.

The bill proposes dividing B.C. into two zones and giving regional panels greater autonomy in land-use decisions.

The Lower Mainland would remain intact but the Interior would see ALR protection relaxed. The two-zone approach wouldn’t change under the amendments proposed by Letnick.

TRU professor Lauchlan Fraser, potato grower Ed Basile, and Kamloops farmer Dave Comrie were among those critical of the bill.

“By setting up a tiered system, it discounts the value of biodiversity that is perhaps not obvious,” Fraser told The Armchair Mayor News recently.

Letnick, who had promised widespread consultation before pushing the bill through, met with B.C. Agriculture Council representatives last week. He said his amendments would allow the Agricultural Land Commission chair or regional panel to refer applications to the ALC’s executive committee if a decision could have a major impact on the ALR.

The executive committee consists of the chair and six vice chairs, one from each region.

“Criteria will be clearly defined in regulation and could include, for example, applications with inter-regional significance, major land or large infrastructure considerations, new types of applications that have not been considered before or when the local panel determines it is best heard by the provincial committee,” said Letnick, who was sworn in as agriculture minister less than a month ago.

“Bill 24 also is being amended to clearly outline, in priority order, the criteria the commission must consider in all land-use decisions in zone 2 (North, Interior and Kootenay).

“This priority list will begin with whether the ALC considers the proposal to meet with the purposes of the commission, namely the preservation of agricultural land, encouraging farming and enabling farm use on agricultural land.

“All other factors would follow in descending order of priority. This change is intended to confirm the ALC’s priority remains preserving farming and ensuring panels make decisions in the best interests of agriculture,” Letnick said.

He said his amendments are a direct result of public concerns.

“British Columbians want the commission to continue making independent decisions, with preservation of farmland as its number one priority. These amendments to Bill 24 ensure those views are clearly written in law.”

Nicholas Simons of the NDP said his party remains opposed to the bill.

“Bill 24 should never have been conceived. Bill 24 should never have been drafted. Bill 24 should never have been tabled. And Bill 24 should not be passed,” he said.