The provincial Cabinet has approved regulatory amendments to the Water Sustainability Regulation and Riparian Areas Protection Regulation as part of a broader initiative to update natural resource permitting processes. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship will host a webinar on March 12 to discuss the implementation of these regulatory changes and potential impacts for local governments.
These updated regulatory requirements were identified following a broader review of potential natural resource permitting updates across WSR, RAPR, and the Forest Act.
In the spring and fall of 2025, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) presented local governments with proposed legislative and regulatory changes across 16 thematic areas. Over 260 local government representatives participated in online engagement sessions, over 170 provided survey responses, and eight made direct submissions during the Province’s engagement process.
The amendments support four regulatory changes: a conditional exemption for construction dewatering, a short‑term water‑use exemption to support ice road construction at restoration sites, expanded eligibility for stream‑restoration activities, and riparian‑area definition and clarity enhancements.
The WSR changes are now in effect, while the RAPR amendments will take effect in January 2027 following additional implementation work. Updated operational guidance and policies have also been released to inform proponents and practitioners about the requirements associated with these new exemptions and definitions.
These amendments will change how local governments engage in water licensing, riparian area assessments, and restoration activities. Local governments generally support efforts to speed up the delivery of essential public infrastructure, but UBCM has opposed Provincial initiatives when they bypass or override local regulatory processes.
In previous resolutions, local governments have consistently called for faster, more predictable provincial permitting, expressing concern over lengthy approval timelines that undermine local development, emergency response, and infrastructure delivery (2021‑LR3, 2020‑EB52).
At the same time, the UBCM membership has been clear that Provincial efforts to improve efficiency must be paired with adequate provincial staffing and enforcement capacity (2025-EB54; 2023‑EB37; 2018‑B34; 2013-B70). UBCM members have also emphasized the importance of local authority in environmental assessment and water‑related decision‑making and ensuring that streamlining approvals does not water-down community involvement (2023‑NR41; 2016‑B25).
The Province is hosting information sessions for local governments on March 12 to review these amendments and discuss their impacts on the role of local government in affected permitting processes. Local governments are encouraged to attend this sessions and share their views. For further information, or to share any questions or comments regarding the amendments, contact the Province directly.