Provincial Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has strong words for Surrey council for dissolving the city91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渓ongstanding and well-respected91裸聊视频� Agriculture and Food Policy Advisory Committee.

91裸聊视频淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,91裸聊视频� Popham wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23. 91裸聊视频淚t was brought to my attention than not even the members of the AFPAC were aware of the imminent dissolution of the committee.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become 91裸聊视频榬egulated91裸聊视频� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,91裸聊视频� she warned.

Popham said committees such as the AFPAC provide 91裸聊视频渋nvaluable91裸聊视频� input to civic governments to make sure planning and decisions are consistent with a local government91裸聊视频檚 obligation to support agriculture in accordance with the Agricultural Land Commission Act and the Local Government Act.

Lana Popham, B.C.91裸聊视频檚 agriculture minister. (Photo submitted)

Popham noted that as Surrey is the largest city geographically in Metro Vancouver, with more than 9,000 hectares in the Agricultural Land Reserve, it is 91裸聊视频減oised to play a role in supporting the primary production of safe local produce and bolstering food security for the region.91裸聊视频� That said, she told council it91裸聊视频檚 been her experience that 91裸聊视频渁ctive involvement of local producers in the fabric of local government is the foundation of a vibrant and economically sustainable agricultural sector.91裸聊视频�

On Dec. 7, the Safe Surrey Coalition majority on council voted to dissolve the AFPAC and fold it, along with the Environment Advisory Committee, into a new Agricultural, Environment and Investment Committee with Council Allison Patton as its chairwoman, Councillor Mandeep Nagra as its vice-chairman, and also Councillor Jack Hundial plus three community members.

The agriculture minister called the new joint committee 91裸聊视频渃oncerning91裸聊视频� and noted that ministry staff advise her that having only three experts between the two disciplines 91裸聊视频渨ill not likely provide adequate representation for Surrey91裸聊视频檚 diverse agricultural community.91裸聊视频�

Patton in reply said it91裸聊视频檚 hard for her to comment 91裸聊视频渁t the moment91裸聊视频� because she hasn91裸聊视频檛 spoken to city staff yet about Popham91裸聊视频檚 concerns. 91裸聊视频淚 may have skimmed the letter but I91裸聊视频檓 not sure it was brought to my attention, no, not yet.91裸聊视频�

The new committee has met twice, Patton said. 91裸聊视频淭he good news is this committee doesn91裸聊视频檛 want to do anything to restrict agriculture, so I think that in time perhaps she can observe the committee and perhaps adjust her viewpoint over time if she feels that91裸聊视频檚 warranted for her,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎 lot of the farmers want improved productivity, and local farm-to-table and produce and other products, so we91裸聊视频檙e looking at how can we help these farmers to do that.91裸聊视频�

Popham was alerted to the situation by Surrey Councillors Hundial and Brenda Locke, of the rival Surrey Connect slate.

91裸聊视频淚f the province decides to regulate Surrey91裸聊视频檚 farmland, it91裸聊视频檚 huge,91裸聊视频� Locke said.

91裸聊视频淚 can tell you Langley, Abbotsford, Delta and Kelowna I think have all been regulated and I know they91裸聊视频檙e not happy. I know for sure Langley91裸聊视频檚 trying to get out of it but it91裸聊视频檚 a forever deal, like it was 20 years ago that they regulated them.91裸聊视频�

Hundial told the Now-Leader that people in the agriculture sector need to be aware of these recent developments in Surrey.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a pretty hard stand for her to take on it,91裸聊视频� Hundial said of Popham, 91裸聊视频渂ut I think that91裸聊视频檚 partly because she sees the risk of not having the public engaged in developing policy that involves farmland. I mean the city is a product of the province and I think people sometimes tend to forget that.

91裸聊视频淪o for the minister to come out and issue really such a stern letter should be a clear indication that I don91裸聊视频檛 think she91裸聊视频檚 too happy with the decision made by the mayor, and secondly, there will be oversight provided,91裸聊视频� Hundial said. 91裸聊视频淥nce she invokes those powers, under the Act, it makes things a lot more complicated and laborious for applications coming out of the city absolutely to deal with agriculture and also the decision-making process around when you start looking at land and the uses, or ALR land.91裸聊视频�

Hundial added that Popham91裸聊视频檚 concern about having only three experts on a committee dealing with both agriculture and the environment is 91裸聊视频渁bsolutely spot-on.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淓ven the three councillors, myself included, that are on that committee, none of us are experts in the ALR,91裸聊视频� the retired Surrey Mountie noted. Patton is a naturopath and Nagra is a businessman.

91裸聊视频淎nd you can only have three individuals from the farming community, you know, Surrey is so much larger than that,91裸聊视频� Hundial said. 91裸聊视频淲hen you look at one third of our land mass is ALR, it makes it very difficult to bring that level of expertise here.91裸聊视频�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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