Regional District of Nanaimo Regional Growth Strategy

Topic Sub-topic Policy or Policy Excerpt Document Location

development and productive use of agricultural land;

policy partnerships, advocacy and development;

ALR;

partnerships/advocacy/liaising;

Recognize the importance of agriculture to the region’s economy. To this end, the RDN and member municipalities agree to:

Encourage the provincial government to protect the agricultural land base through the ALR;

 7.14
development and productive use of agricultural land; ALR; Support the agricultural use of ALR lands within designated Urban Areas or Rural Village Areas except in instances where urban land uses have already been established at the time of the adoption of this RGS;
 		 7.14
  research and data collection; Support the preparation of a study of agriculture in the region for the purpose of identifying the issues and needs (both immediate and future) of the agricultural sector; 7.14
economic development;   Encourage and support value-added agricultural industries; and 7.14
development and productive use of agricultural land;   Enhance opportunities for agricultural activity on lands not in the ALR. 7.14
  aquaculture;

Recognize the importance of shellfish aquaculture to the region’s economy and environment. To this end the RDN and member municipalities agree to:

Support the management of the Shellfish Aquaculture leases by the provincial and federal governments;

 7.15

policy partnerships, advocacy and development;

wildlife/environmental/pest management;

 aquaculture; Work collaboratively with the provincial and federal government to protect the shellfish aquaculture leases from wastewater or industrial runoff contamination;
 		 7.15
economic development; aquaculture; Encourage and support value-added shellfish  aquaculture industries;  7.15
development and productive use of agricultural land;

ALR;

partnerships/advocacy/liaising;

 Encourage and support the Agricultural Land Commission in retaining lands within the ALR for agricultural purposes. 8.1

development and productive use of agricultural land;

ALR subdivision;

ALR;

 Discourage the subdivision of agricultural lands. 8.2
economic development; zoning; Include provisions in their official community plans and zoning bylaws to allow for complementary land uses and activities that support the on-going viability of farming operations. 8.3
development and productive use of agricultural land; ALR; Establish agriculture as the priority use on land in the ALR. 8.4

development and productive use of agricultural land;

urban-agriculture conflict and edge planning;

 ALR; Minimize the potential impact non-farm land uses may have on farming operations and include policies in their official community plans and zoning bylaws that reduce the opportunity for land use conflicts to occur. 8.5
  home occupation/home based businesses; Encourage and support agricultural activity on lands that are not within the ALR. This may include small-scale home-based agricultural businesses. 8.6
economic development;

farmers' market;

food processing;

agricultural industry services;

agri-tourism;

Recognize the importance of value-added agricultural uses and complementary land use activities for the economic viability of farms. To support complementary farm uses, official community plans should consider:

· The provision of appropriately located agricultural support services and infrastructure;

· Reducing impediments to agricultural processing and related land uses;

· Allowing compatible complementary land use activities (e.g., agri-tourism);

· Allowing farmers’ markets and other outlets that sell local produce to locate in all parts of the community.

 8.7

food production;

education;

urban agriculture;

 community food system education; Encourage urban agriculture initiatives and support activities and programs that increase awareness of local food production within the region. 8.8
water management; irrigation and drainage; Support the appropriate use of water resources for irrigation of agricultural lands. 8.9
water management; irrigation and drainage; Support the provision of drainage infrastructure to flood-prone lands that do not lie within environmentally sensitive areas. 8.10

food sales, access and procurement;

economic development;

policy partnerships, advocacy and development;

 irrigation and drainage; Work in collaboration with federal and provincial agencies, adjacent regional districts, and agricultural organizations to improve access to markets for agricultural products. 8.11

economic development;

policy partnerships, advocacy and development;

 partnerships/advocacy/liaising; Support partnerships and collaborate with non-profit groups to enhance the economic viability of farms. 8.12
wildlife/environmental/pest management; wildlife and ecosystem management; Support farms that produce organic agricultural products and use sustainable farming practices. 8.13

food processing, storage and distribution;

food sales, access and procurement;

food processing;

food storage;

food distribution;

aquaculture;

 Support the production, processing, distribution and sale of locally grown produce (including shellfish). 8.14

Level of Government:
regional

Topic(s):

Development and Productive use of Agricultural Land
n
Economic Development
n
Education
n
Food Processing, Storage & Distribution
n
Food Production
n
Food Sales, Access & Procurement
n
Policy Partnerships, Advocacy & Development
n
Water Management
n
Wildlife/Environmental/Pest Management
n

Sub-topic(s):

agri-tourism
n
agricultural industry services
n
ALR
n
ALR subdivision
n
aquaculture
n
community food system education
n
farmers' markets
n
food distribution
n
food processing
n
food storage
n
home occupation/home based businesses
n
irrigation and drainage
n
partnerships/advocacy/liaising
n
research and data collection
n
wildlife and ecosystem management
n
zoning
n

Policy URL:
https://www.rdn.bc.ca/regional-growth-strategy-bylaw

Policy File:

Region:
Nanaimo

Province:
British Columbia

Year:
2011

Supplementary Information:
No