Friday, November 08, 2013

Will Local Pols Be Able To Do Anything To Stop A Dismantling Of The ALR?

WhenTheBillionsFlow
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Frances Bula has a post up wherein she suggests that local Lotuslandian politicians may try to stop any planned dismantling of the ALR on the Lower Mainland.

The ringleader for such an effort will likely be Harold Steves who lays out how such a thing could be done in the Hume/Bula follow-up in today's Globe.


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A couple of thoughts on this....

First, if I'm reading this right (and those in the know, please correct me if I'm wrong), it would appear that the Snooklandians are going after Northern/Rural (i.e. Peace region) land first, for carbon extraction purposes.

Second, when the edges of the envelope marked 'Kill The RedTape-Wrapped ALR' have been pushed way wide (more on that later) and the urban fight begins in earnest I am not convinced that local pols will not fade away in the end.

Not because real fightin' folk like Harold Steves or even Andrea Reimer will give up.

But rather because others (i.e. the majority) will.

Heckfire, it's not like this hasn't happened in Metro Vancouver recently, right?

And in that case it was actually a park, not farmland that will be bulldozed, paved over and developed.

And that particular 'fight' which was all kabuki from the very beginning was staged as being between a golf course and a park.

And the park lost.

Why?

My opinion?

Money - with a 'B'.

OK?


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7 comments:

cfvua said...

The real ALR issue in the Peace, I think is that nat gas service companies streaming in from Alberta want ag land that is currently in the peace river regional district that is actually being farmed to be re zoned as industrial. Especially that nice flat stuff next to the towns that gets you there but with fractional property taxes that don't support the service centres. Then add in the frustration of well heeled lib supporting land owners and it won't last long. MLA / Ag Minister Pimm is not on the side of farmers on this one either. Industrial water ponds on Ag land are problematic for some landowners who have built them only to find out the water can't be sold for other than Ag purposes. But then you can charge instead for using the road to get to the "free" water.

RossK said...

Thanks cfvua--

Most helpful additional info and insight.

One follow-up....Why, exactly did those owners build those big ponds in the first place if not for Ag purposes?

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Norm Farrell said...

I'm hearing that it is local government complaints that led to the Liberal proposal to deep six ALC. There is belief that certain areas, Langley for example, cared for by powerful people, have an easier time moving developments forward than others, Chilliwack for example.

The easiest way to level the playing field is to eliminate the provincial commission. However, I don't think it will happen because those same influential people don't want a flood of development-ready property coming onto the market.

The ALR has controlled the amount of land available to builders, which kept prices high and allowed really large profits to be earned by the assemblers who option farmland and then pull the right strings to advance projects.

Liberals and their land developer friends have tolerated the ALR, not out of desire to protect farmland but because it serves their purposes.

RossK said...

Norm--

So.

If, indeed, it does become such a pay-to-play limited dismantling it sounds like, once again, that the final result will be...

Heads they win, tails we lose.

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Anonymous said...

They will have to be very careful how they dismantle.

The boys who golf are depending on the land-squeeze.

SH

RossK said...

SH--

Yes.

I've heard that too (and I think that is what Norm is suggesting above).

So...

I reckon, if they get their way unfettered, that it will be massive dismantling in the hurtland and then selective, keep the land prices, flip-outs to the cronies with their hands out down south and west.

Clearly, there will not, however, be any dismantling of the SLC.


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cfvua said...

Many of the large dugouts, dams or ponds that were built in the last couple of years had but one purpose and it wasn't irrigation or livestock watering. It is surprising that this activity is even being slowed down given who the end users of the water are. With the ALR gone it won't be.