Articles related to provincial and federal legislation that affects local governments.
Last week mayors, chairs, elected chiefs and CAOs joined with Minister Bowinn Ma in a conference call regarding Bill 15, Infrastructure Projects Act. The call provided an opportunity for the Province to provide information about the Bill and respond to questions.
Earlier this week, Bill 15 (Infrastructure Projects Act) passed second reading. Since UBCM’s initial commentary, Bill 15 continues to generate discussion concerning the powers it provides to the provincial cabinet to override local regulatory processes in order to fast-track permitting for major infrastructure projects that the Province designates as ‘provincially significant’.
The Province of BC has introduced legislation that would give greater powers to the Cabinet to expedite the approval of projects it deems a matter of provincial significance.
Local governments are invited to provide input on the development of regulations for local authorities under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA) at one of three online engagement sessions this April. These webinars, administered by the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) and hosted by UBCM, will give local governments an opportunity to review, validate, and add to key issues and questions identified by the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) on EDMA regulations.
Responding to a Federal invitation for engagement, UBCM submitted an overview of our policy regarding taxation of vacant lands. UBCM policies include requests for vacant land taxation to incentivize and fund development of affordable housing or shelters. Resolutions seek greater local authority through legislative support from the Province.
Last month, the BC Court of Appeal released its decision in Kitsilano Coalition for Children & Family Safety Society v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2024 BCCA 423, examining and interpreting new provincial legislation. The legislation had been enacted to support the completion of a housing development, but was challenged as unconstitutional, a view that was upheld by the Court of Appeal in a decision released December 23, 2024.
On December 19, 2024, the provincial government repealed the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly in November 2023, but was not brought into force due to a court injunction.
The Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) on Emergency and Disaster Management Act regulations has concluded its first series of meetings, which focused on some of the primary responsibilities assigned to local governments under the Act. Key themes and issues raised by LGAC members are summarized below. These were also discussed at the EDMA in Action session at the 2024 UBCM Convention.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is working to develop provincial flood policy guidance, and is seeking input on a variety of flood-related topics. This work relates directly to the BC Flood Strategy, released on March 21, 2024. Written feedback will be accepted until December 20, 2024, 4 pm.
The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) has released a summary of input received to its 2023 discussion paper, BC’s Modernized Emergency Management Legislation: Regulations for Local Authorities.