Gaining ground — REALTORS® talk farmland with new ALC chair

The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) has a new chair, Richard Bullock, and one of his first initiatives has been to tour the province talking to stakeholders about the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

Bullock, an orchardist from Kelowna, is reviewing ALC operations, policies and legislation. His goal is to make the administration of the ALR more effective and efficient.

Since its inception in 1974, the ALR has been at the centre of heated debates, largely the result of the pressures of urbanization.

The reserve has also been the subject of reports by organizations as diverse as the Fraser Institute, the David Suzuki Foundation and South Fraser OnTrax, and an in-depth study in 1998 by the Dean of the UBC School of Agriculture.

But until now, REALTORS® with their considerable knowledge and hands-on experience, have not been part of the discussion.

This all changed on August 27, 2010, when Bullock invited representatives from organized real estate including lower mainland boards and BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) to sit down and talk with him and ALC senior staff about what makes the ALR worthwhile, what can be done to improve it, and what REALTORS® see for the future.

Representing the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver were former Board president and current BCREA director, Dave Watt, Government Relations (GR) committee chair Sylvia Sam, GR committee member Willard Dunn, Maple Ridge REALTOR® Al Hogarth (who is also a Maple Ridge councillor) and GR Manager, Harriet Permut.

The group talked about how important it is to:

1. Keep everyone informed about ALC priorities and ALR rules and regulations so REALTORS® on the front lines can help keep their clients better informed.

2. Ensure the ALC is a decision-making body and is de-politicized.

3. Review the classification of land in the ALR. The original system is from the 1950s and soil science measurement has improved since then. Land with low agricultural capacity should be reclassified. Land with high capacity should stay as farmland.

4. Consider reinstating the split property assessment classification system. True farm uses should be rewarded with low taxation. Residential uses should pay residential taxes, including school taxes. This would discourage taking good agricultural land out of production.

5. Ensure regulations are enforced so that the ALR is not a scapegoat for municipalities that aren’t enforcing regulations.

6. Consider new ways to support farming. For example, Maple Ridge is discussing when lands are removed from the ALR and put to another use, the increase in taxes could go into a reserve used for agricultural enhancements such as the promotion, production and purchase of agricultural lands or agricultural research.

Where do we go from here?

This is only the beginning. ALC Chair Richard Bullock plans to continue to talk to organized real estate.

à If you have suggestions for how ALR operations can be improved, send them to Harriet Permut, Manager, Government Relations at hpermut@rebgv.org.

If you would like more information on the history of the ALR, visit: www.realtorlink.ca and go to Latest Publications.