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VICTORIA
– Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat
Bell today outlined an innovative solution to revitalize abandoned and
underutilized lands known as brownfields so that British Columbians can get the
most value out of the land in their communities.
“A
$10-million remediation fund will be established to create green opportunities
for communities as they revitalize inactive or unused lands. These funds will
allow the redevelopment of both Crown and private sites,” said Bell. “Our goal is to strongly support projects that create
efficient, revitalized, green communities that are sustainable for future
generations.”
Bell
announced the strategy at Dockside Green, a new Victoria housing development
that is a prime example of brownfield revitalization.
Effective
immediately, this strategy will:
·
Fast-track green
developments waiting for provincial environmental approvals, as outlined in the
throne speech.
·
Implement a $10-million fund
built up over five years that
will match provincial and private sector investment in the early stages of
investigations on sites where market forces have not achieved redevelopment and
where it is possible to achieve triple-bottom-line outcomes that have social, economic and environmental benefits.
·
Broaden brownfield tools
for local governments, linking brownfield renewal with government’s proposed
Green Communities Initiative to ensure brownfield opportunities can be a part
of community revitalization. This will include allowing communities to vary
development costs for projects that demonstrate triple-bottom-line benefits.
The
Province is also:
·
Creating tax incentives
and disincentives to attract more investment in brownfield projects and to
dissuade owners from keeping brownfield properties idle.
·
Providing municipal
staff involved in redevelopment projects with direct expert assistance on a
project-by-project basis.
·
Providing enhanced
flexibility in liability allocation so that brownfield owners will be
encouraged to either sell or redevelop idle properties.
·
Developing a virtual
brownfield office, a hands-on partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture
and Lands and the Ministry of Environment, to assist local governments with
brownfield renewal by providing information and guidance.
·
Developing a
post-secondary program that offers a certificate of brownfield
entrepreneurship.
·
Facilitating the return
of Crown owned brownfield sites to productive use.
“The new Brownfield
Renewal Strategy will turn abandoned brownfield sites throughout British
Columbia into assets that can be redeveloped or sold, instead of allowing them
to remain as liabilities,” said Environment Minister Barry Penner, who was at
Dockside Green for the announcement. “This becomes a win-win situation for
everyone – the new owner, the old owner, the neighbourhood, and city hall.”
Brownfields
are abandoned, vacant, derelict, or underutilized commercial and industrial
properties where past actions have resulted in actual or perceived contamination.
They are different from other contaminated sites in that they hold active
potential for redevelopment. Progress has already been made on three pilot
brownfield projects at Ladysmith Harbour, New Westminster Gasworks and
Millstream Meadows (District of Highlands).
“At
a time with increased pressure on lands, we are glad to see government taking
steps to make more productive use of brownfields, especially in urban areas,”
said Maureen Enser, executive director of the Urban Development Institute. “The
approach government is taking by streamlining processes and reducing
uncertainty is welcomed by industry and very timely.”
Redevelopment
of brownfield sites helps to reduce development pressure on farm and forested
land, reduce urban sprawl, improve public and environmental health and safety,
increase land values, revitalize communities and renew derelict and
underutilized land. The Province is looking at ways to assist developments that
emphasize triple-bottom-line outcomes.
“The
Province's brownfield strategy will help promote environmental restoration and
economic revitalization throughout B.C.’s communities,” said Susan Gimse,
president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). “We look
forward to working with the Province on developing and rolling out the strategy
in the coming months.”
The
Province is consulting with a wide range of stakeholders on the strategy and
will hold its first consultation meeting on March 26 in Vancouver.
Representation will come from the development community, UBCM, the Urban
Development Institute and the ministries of Agriculture and Lands, Community
Services, Environment, Finance and Advanced Education.
Green
community developments like Dockside Green are good examples of the kinds of
projects that the Province is encouraging. Green
communities improve the environmental conditions of sites that may be
contaminated from past use and incorporate more environmentally sustainable
features into their design to minimize impacts for the future.
Since 2001, the Province has committed more
than $257 million to identify and clean up a number of B.C. Crown contaminated
sites. There are now 59 sites across the province being managed under the Crown
Contaminated Sites Program. For the 08/09 fiscal year, the Province has
earmarked an additional $25 million that is available for the remediation of
Crown contaminated sites as well as Crown brownfields.
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contact: |
Communications Director Ministry of Agriculture and Lands 250 356-2862 250 213-3072 (cell) |
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