The minister reviewing B.C.’s core operations says the Agricultural Land Commission will not be turned over to politicians or bureaucrats and that it will continue in its mission to protect good farmland, despite indications to the contrary from leaked cabinet documents.

Bill Bennett, Minister of energy and mines, was responding to a report indicating that the ALC would effectively be dismantled, with new powers over land use granted to the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission.

‘We’re not planning on changing the central principle that underlies the agricultural land reserve…That’s not at risk in any way’says Bennett

The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is a provincial zone, governed by the ALC, in which agricultural uses are prioritized and non-agricultural uses are controlled. The ALR currently covers approximately 4.7 million hectares.

Bennett said his review will not alter the central principle that underlies the ALR — “the protection of good farmland and the sustainability of farming and farm families. That’s not at risk in any way.”

“We are far more focused at looking not just the Agricultural Land Commission but all of our Crown agencies, and what we’re looking at is: is there is some duplication or overlap within that organization? Does somebody else do the same thing? Is there a way to improve the service that organization provides to the public?”

Northern land could be released

He said that no final decisions have been made regarding the future of the ALC, but that going forward land-use decisions need to be balanced.

NDP Leader Adrian Dix said that any move to dismantle the ALC would be both bad and unnecessary.

“I don’t know why, after all this time and contrary to the word the premier has given, they would be contemplating this reversal. They have been, to some degree, starving the Agricultural Land Commission of resources — but anybody needs to look around British Columbia to see the province has developed enormously.

report from CBC