Opportunities for members to give feedback, have input, participate in advisory groups, and more.
UBCM members overwhelmingly support a pause to legislative development to allow for
face to face consultation.
MLA George Anderson, Parliamentary Secretary for Transit, has brought forward a private member’s bill that would apply a professional reliance model to local approvals. If passed, this legislation would require that, with limited exceptions, local governments accept submissions certified by registered professionals including engineers and architects as meeting permit or bylaw requirements. UBCM was not consulted on this legislation before its introduction and has significant concerns with the proposed approach that would erode local approval authorities.
The Ministry of Environment and Parks is proposing changes to fees under the Environmental Management Act, aiming to update and clarify costs for services provided by the ministry for site remediation and waste discharge authorization application and annual base charges.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) is seeking feedback from local governments on proposed changes to key environmental regulations and permitting processes related to the management of water, riparian areas and wetlands. The Ministry will host a series of virtual engagement sessions and online surveys to share additional information and solicit input.
The provincial government’s consultation period for over 50 proposed changes to the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) has been extended until November 14. UBCM has developed a process for local government engagement and will contract with Randy Diehl (Diehl Management Services) to support its delivery. The engagement with local governments will include a survey of CAOs, follow up interviews with select staff, and webinars with elected officials to share preliminary findings.
Local governments are invited to provide feedback to the Ministry of Infrastructure as part of the engagement process on the policies and regulations that will support implementation of the Infrastructure Projects Act (Bill 15). Webinars will solicit feedback about Provincially Significant Projects.
The Province is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from local governments and First Nations governing bodies interested in hosting FIFA World Cup 26™ free public watch parties for over 1,000 attendees.
The Province is looking to understand how communities across the province would like to mark this event in creative and meaningful ways, with particular emphasis on public programming that features live viewing of tournament matches.
Senior and technical local government staff and elected officials are encouraged to attend a BC government webinar on proposed amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) on August 12, 9am – noon PDT. Register in advance to ensure you receive an information package from the Ministry of Forests beforehand.
The Ministry of Attorney General in BC is developing a proposal regarding prompt payment in the construction sector.
Earlier this year, the provincial government launched a health authority review with the goal of ensuring that resource allocations are supporting critical patient services, and that resources support front-line patient care.
UBCM is gathering input from members for the review. Local governments work closely with health authorities on issues such as pre-hospital care, regional hospital districts, and the recruitment and retention of health care professionals.