Following the recent decision of Richmond Council to continue the status quo and allow mega mansions on ALR is their municipality, the BC Green caucus released a media release (reproduced below) calling on government to protect our rapidly depleting farmland.

Media Release

B.C. Green Caucus calls on province to take immediate action to stymie speculation on farmland

For immediate release

May 15, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green Party caucus is calling on the provincial government to take immediate action to stymie speculation on ALR land. The Caucus says the vote at Richmond council last night demonstrates why provincial action is needed.

“Mega mansions on ALR land are imperiling our food security, destroying agricultural land and driving up prices well beyond the reach of young farmers,” said Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party.

“The provincial government has a number of tools at its disposal that it should immediately use to address the issue of speculation on ALR land. These include restricting foreign ownership of ALR land, applying the speculation tax and foreign buyers tax to the ALR or creating legally binding house size limits. It should use at least one of these immediately to prevent the loss of any more farmland.”

Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and a former Saanich Councillor, added that local governments have been asking the province to take action for years.

“This decision at Richmond Council will drive the price of ALR in their community sky high, it will impact the rest of the province and demonstrates the need for action at the provincial level. When I was a Central Saanich Councillor, we knew 10 years ago we needed to take action on limiting house size and location on ALR land, we called on the government of the day to act. We were not alone and rather than take action the Province has buried this issue in consultation only further increasing pressure on the cost of farmland. The issue of speculation driving up land prices is well-documented and its solutions are clear. Delaying action only causes the issue to spiral further out of control: Last year, Richmond alone lost 50 farms due to the construction of mega-mansions on farmland. I urge the Minister in the strongest terms to recognize to take immediate action before any more farmland is lost.”

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Media contact

Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary

+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca