qathet Regional District (qRD) board will consider inviting provincial ministry of agriculture and food staff to conduct a presentation on land use planning for agriculture.
At the April 3 planning committee meeting, directors reviewed correspondence from the ministry, inviting the regional board to participate in a presentation on agricultural land use planning and the legislative tools available for consideration by local government elected officials.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the ministry’s request makes sense.
“The agricultural land commission and agricultural land reserve rules are their own unique challenge and beast,” said Gisborne. “Sometimes the province comes out with small regulations, but when it comes to matters on the ground and the impact on local government, it can have quite an effect.
“Since our agricultural advisory committee is the one that has to weigh in on those discussions, there has also been some discussion at the committee that they would like a better understanding of some of these provincial rules. I would love to have the ministry come and present and we can all have a better understanding.”
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said perhaps the agricultural advisory committee could be invited to attend. Electoral Area A director and committee chair Jason Lennox said he thought that was Gisborne’s intent.
City of Powell River alternate director Rob Southcott said he believed the city had received a similar invitation.
“It occurs to me that if the ministry is going to present, it might be better if we all met together, so I wonder if it could be coordinated,” said Southcott. “Agriculture really crosses our boundaries. It’s a multi-jurisdictional thing.”
McCormick said she wondered about making it a meeting for the regional district, the city and Tla’amin.
“Why not get all the players together?” asked McCormick.
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said she had reached out to the writer of the ministry’s invitation to advise them it was likely that the board would be interested in a presentation. She said she hadn’t heard back, but the wheels were in motion.
Gisborne suggested the city and Tla’amin also be invited to participate in the meeting.
The committee carried a motion that it recommends to the board that the board direct staff to invite the ministry of agriculture and food, the qRD agricultural advisory committee, City of Powell River Council, Tla’amin Executive Council and interested members of the regional board to a coming meeting for the purposes of outlining agricultural use planning.
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