Whereas a sufficient supply of industrial land in all categories i.e. production, distribution, repair, manufacturing, transportation, trade-enabling, warehouse, wholesale, etc. is critical for local, regional and provincial economies and workforce growth, and industrial lands face scarcity and underdevelopment challenges and loss and conversion to other uses; And whereas balanced attention to local and regional industrial land protection and planning is disadvantaged by lack of available funding for local governments to assist with the unique planning and development challenges and opportunities for these lands: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government provide new funding programs for local and regional governments to support preparation or updating of industrial land inventories, assessments, strategies, plans, and guidelines for their protection and optimal development.
Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth Industrial land in BC is vital for a strong and diversified economy, providing essential space for foundational economic activities, including raw materials processing, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and professional services. The Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth JEG has a mandate to ensure BCs economy has the space to grow by creating a province-wide inventory of existing industrial land, carrying out a land-use needs assessment, and creating a strategy for protecting and growing the industrial land base. JEG is working closely with local governments, First Nations, and industry across the province to deliver this mandate. JEG recently established an Industrial Land Office to work across government and in partnership with First Nations, local governments, and industry to develop an Industrial Land Action Plan. The action plan will ensure communities and workers across BC benefit from a thriving and diversified industrial land base that drives economic growth, supply chain resilience, environmental sustainability, and diverse export opportunities. The action plan will seek to optimize industrial land use, improve access to development opportunities, and increase industrial land supply to drive growth in targeted sectors. There are existing federal and provincial programs that can support a local governments capacity to undertake industrial land use planning and infrastructure development, including: - Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program Offered by Government of British Columbia: supports rural economic development projects that promote economic capacity building, economic diversification, and infrastructure development. The program has a development funding stream that supports land use planning including industrial land, feasibility assessments, economic diversification, and other developmental steps. - Canada Community-Building Fund Community Works Fund Funded by Government of Canada and Administered by the Union of BC Municipalities: funding guided by three national program objectives, which include productivity and economic growth, a clean environment, and strong cities and communities. - Green Municipal Fund Funded by Government of Canada and Administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities: funding for projects that enhance long-term climate resilience in communities, including land use planning updates that integrate resilience through zoning changes, bylaw revisions or development restrictions. JEG will continue to engage and collaborate with local governments across BC to fulfill mandate commitments, while recognizing local government responsibility to manage local and regional planning for industrial lands.