B.C. aims to protect agricultural land from mega-mansions, construction waste

VICTORIA – British Columbia has tabled legislation that it says will make clear that land in the Agricultural Land Reserve is for farming and ranching and not for dumping construction waste or building mega-mansions.

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the amended land commission act proposes to strengthen the protection of agricultural land by clearly defining that all land in the reserve is subject to the same status.

Under the current legislation passed by the former government, there are two zones of agricultural land with one land zone open for some non-agricultural development.

Popham says the amendments in a bill tabled Monday will eliminate the arbitrary two-zone division.

She says the amendments also seek to prevent the building of huge homes on prime agricultural land by limiting new home sizes to less than 500 square metres on property in the land reserve.

Popham adds the amendments also include increased penalties for dumping construction debris and other wastes or fill materials on agricultural land that can damage soil and valuable farmland.