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AAMDC Election Member Resource Guide 2015
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Transcript of AAMDC Election Member Resource Guide 2015
RURAL ALBERTAMEMBER RESOURCE
PROVINCIALELECTION 15‘
GUIDE
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Rural Alberta is “Where it All Starts.” The AAMDC wants to work with its members to make sure
that all rural candidates for provincial office recognize the importance of rural Alberta and, if
elected to office, will work towards the interests of rural communities.
The AAMDC 2015 Provincial Election Members Guide will help members educate candidates
on the importance of rural Alberta as well as the challenges that rural municipalities face. Feel
free to use this guide as you see fit, and share it with candidates, colleagues, and interested
members of the public.
In addition to this guide, please visit election.aamdc.com for up to date election resources and
information, or join the conversation about rural municipal issues on Twitter @aamdc.
Why a Guide?
The purpose of this guide is to assist AAMDC members in voicing the rural municipal
perspective on key province-wide policy issues. In many cases, provincial elections are a
combination of local concerns and provincial issues. This guide is intended to assist members in
raising certain province-wide issues as a rural municipal advocate. Some of these issues may
not be top of mind in every rural municipality, but if they are in the guide, they are important to
the continued growth and sustainability of rural Alberta, and could become local hot-button
issues at any time.
How to Use the Guide
The guide addresses a number of rural issues. For each issues, it provides several questions
that can be asked to candidates, select AAMDC position statements, and a brief background of
the issue. The questions are intended to be broad enough to be relevant across the province,
and easy to modify for specific local issues.
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1. Rural Municipal Sustainability
Sample Questions
Although the majority of Alberta’s population live in urban areas, most of Alberta’s land
mass and resource development is located in rural areas. If you are elected, how would
you address the unique needs of rural municipalities?
What is the most important aspect of ensuring rural Alberta remains sustainable? Why is
this important for the province as a whole?
What do you feel is the best approach to balancing the need for municipalities within a
region to collaborate with maintaining local decision-making and municipal autonomy?
Please discuss what you see as the importance of providing community services such as
high-speed broadband and healthcare facilities in rural municipalities. What challenges do
you see in providing these services in rural areas, and what strategies would you use to
overcome them?
What role do you see the Government of Alberta having in ensuring rural municipalities
remain sustainable? What relationship should the province have with rural municipalities?
Position Statements
Rural municipal perspectives on growth and planning are diverse. Depending on their
location within Alberta, some rural municipalities may be dealing with the challenges of
rapid growth, while others may be examining ways to encourage new economic
development in rural and remote areas.
Planning and development requires municipalities to have clear bylaws and statutory
plans. To create those plans municipalities must engage with citizens and local business
owners. Such regulations should be easily understandable to developers and industry.
Inter-municipal development plans should be encouraged because they enable open
communication and effective working relationships with neighbouring municipalities.
Intermunicipal development plans should be mandatory prior to any annexation attempt.
Residents of rural communities expect and deserve equitable access to high-quality
services (ex. schools, FCSS, seniors’ facilities, policing). Meeting these expectations is
vital to maintaining rural communities and ensuring their economic growth, as well as
slowing the decrease in rural population.
Inter-municipal cost-sharing often enhances regional initiatives and enables service
provision. Local conditions and circumstances determine what type of cost-sharing
arrangement will work best. Ideally, the region as a whole will benefit from such
arrangements.
Without adequate community services, the economic well-being and sustainability of
communities is hindered. Therefore, the importance of funding assistance to provide these
services cannot be understated. (ex. small schools by necessity, FCSS, policing, Internet).
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The presence of hospitals in rural communities provides not only health benefits, but
broader community benefits. These include attracting new residents, stimulating economic
growth, and providing opportunities to educating the new generation of health
professionals.
Background Information
Municipalities require the authority, tools, and resources to remain sustainable. This includes
the ability to collaborate regionally while maintaining local autonomy, to implement by-laws and
policies to attract and manage development, and to provide residents with quality community
services. Sustainability for rural municipalities can be broadly broken down into three
categories: Voluntary Cost Sharing, local autonomy and intermunicipal collaboration, and quality
local service provision.
Voluntary Cost Sharing: All municipalities are challenged to generate adequate revenue to
provide infrastructure and services to their residents. To find greater efficiencies in delivering
services, many municipalities collaborate with one another to share the costs of providing a
service or constructing infrastructure that has a regional benefit. These voluntary partnerships
allow municipalities to remain sustainable by providing services more efficiently without
sacrificing local autonomy. Maintaining this voluntary structure will allow municipalities to
continue to collaborate only when it is in their best interests.
Local Autonomy and Intermunicipal Collaboration: In a growing province, inter-municipal
collaboration is more important than ever; however, the heart of a sustainable municipality
remains in its ability to address local issues with local solutions. Some rural municipalities have
urban neighbours that are growing rapidly, while others are in areas of the province
experiencing depopulation. In either case, local planning and development policies and by-laws
must be respected, and solutions to address inter-municipal growth and development issues
must work for all municipalities involved. Sacrificing the autonomy of one municipality to benefit
another is not the path towards a sustainable rural Alberta.
Quality Local Service Provision: Keeping a rural municipality sustainable is about making
sure that residents have access to the services that they expect and deserve. Due to the large
geographic size and small populations of rural municipalities, providing services that urban
residents take for granted, such as health care facilities, schools, libraries, and high-speed
broadband can be challenging and expensive. However, these services benefit rural
communities in ways that go far beyond the service itself. Such services create jobs, attract
residents, improve quality of life, and grow the rural economy. The Government of Alberta
should not view the up-front expenses of providing these services in rural areas as
insurmountable, but rather an investment that will keep the engine of Alberta’s economy
running. The provincial government should work with rural municipalities to find innovative ways
to provide these services. A healthy rural Alberta means a healthy provincial economy, and the
benefits of providing services to rural Alberta should be understood by every candidate.
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2. Municipal Funding and Resources
Sample Questions
Municipalities rely on long-term predictable funding to allow capital investments to be
properly planned and implemented, and to operate efficiently. If elected, how would you
see to that funding for municipalities is predictable and long-term?
Municipalities have limited tools to collect revenues despite providing the majority of the
services that Albertans use on a day to day basis. What revenue tools would you support
expanding for use by municipalities?
Industrial taxation is an important revenue tool for rural municipalities. It ensures that
industry can access both the natural resources and the export markets which are essential
to Alberta’s prosperity. If elected, how will you protect this important revenue source for
rural Alberta?
Municipalities need flexible revenue tools to develop communities that suit their residents’
needs. What is your position on the effectiveness of the current range of development
levies available to municipalities?
Position Statements
Expenses in rural municipalities are often higher than in urban municipalities due to
infrastructure such as extensive road networks, bridges and water and wastewater
systems that need to be maintained. Providing municipal services to rural, sparsely
populated/highly industrial areas is also costly.
The current distribution of industrial taxation is fair and reflects the expenses absorbed
by municipalities from industrial development within their jurisdiction.
AAMDC does not support revenue sharing among local governments as a desirable
means of addressing regional financing of capital initiatives or the funding of service
delivery. However, local solutions are often the best solutions, and the AAMDC respects
the ability of municipalities to solve financing challenges as they see fit.
Cost sharing is preferable to revenue sharing because it is within the mandate of municipal
government, relatively easy to administer, and creates equity, accountability,
effectiveness and efficiency.
Most municipalities do not have sufficient annual revenues, either from taxation or from
grants, to build and maintain needed infrastructure. Each year, this infrastructure deficit
grows while citizens’ expectations increase, which adds to funding challenges for rural
municipalities.
Background Information
Despite providing an array of services including road maintenance, bridge construction and water
and wastewater treatment, municipalities have limited options to raise revenue. However, all
Albertans rely on these services, and providing them to residents is what makes municipalities
the government closest to the people. Consequently, the financial health of municipalities is
essential to Alberta’s overall prosperity.
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Rural municipalities face several unique challenges related to funding and resources. First, many
rural municipalities have challenges in accessing provincial grant funding for critical capital and
operating expenses. Second, municipalities struggle to recover costs through development levies
for providing expanded infrastructure for new developments. Lastly, since rural municipalities
typically cover large geographic areas with low populations, residential property taxes are
insufficient to fund infrastructure maintenance. As a result, many municipalities rely on industrial
taxation revenue from natural resource development to remain financial sustainable.
Municipal Grants: Since municipalities have limited revenue-raising authorities, they rely heavily
on provincial grants. For rural municipalities, the primary source of provincial funding is the
Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI). In recent years, the Government of Alberta has reduced
the operating component of the MSI and re-assigned that funding to the Alberta Community
Partnership (ACP). While the ACP is valuable, many rural (and small urban) municipalities rely
on MSI operating funding to provide basic municipal services. Most of the ACP grant is not even
available to rural and small municipalities and has traditionally been reserved for high-population
municipalities. This, combined with the continual zero-funding of the Strategic Transportation
Infrastructure Program, has led to a consistent decline in the availability of municipal funding for
rural municipalities. It is important that all candidates understand that all municipal grants are not
equal, and that rural municipalities have unique needs that require unique provincial support.
Development Levies: Development levies (also known as offsite levies) refer to the levies
municipalities are able to charge to developers to ensure that new developments are adequately
serviced with municipal services such as roads, water and waste water treatment. They are levied
to ensure that tax payers do not shoulder the entire burden for new development that will be
profiting the developer. In their current form, development levies are limited in their application
and cannot be used to fund fire halls, police stations, libraries or recreation facilities. While not
every new development needs a full array of services, municipalities require the flexibility to define
what services are needed in their community and the tools to fund those services.
Industrial Taxation: Industrial taxation refers to the taxes that industry pays to municipalities for
the placement of industrial infrastructure within municipal boundaries. Industrial taxation includes
two types of taxes: taxes on linear property and taxes machinery and equipment property (M&E).
Much like residential property taxes that support infrastructure used by residents of a municipality,
industrial taxes help off-set local impacts of industrial development. These impacts include
anything from the strain that truck traffic puts on local roads and bridges to the impacts that a
major development may have on municipal land-use planning. Rural municipalities host the
majority of industrial development in Alberta, and rely on industrial taxation revenues to maintain
Alberta’s rural transportation network. This network helps develop the provincial economy and
provides market access to Alberta’s vast natural resources.
Rural municipalities also use these revenues to help meet regional infrastructure and service
delivery needs by funding cost-sharing initiatives with urban partners. Regional projects may
include fire services, libraries and recreational facilities. Since 2004, transfers through direct
payments and cost sharing arrangements between rural and urban municipalities have increased
steadily, reaching $130,000,000 in 2013. While collaborating has always been a component of
rural life, it is important that regional collaboration remain a voluntary process. It is important that
candidates understand that forced sharing of industrial taxation revenue would have a devastating
impact on rural municipalities, and would harm Alberta’s economy overall.
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3. Transportation and Infrastructure
Sample Questions
If elected, how will you work rural municipalities to address the funding challenges
associated with maintaining a significant portion of Alberta’s transportation network?
The infrastructure deficit on rural roads and bridges is growing each year the Strategic
Transportation Infrastructure Program remains zero-funded. How will you ensure that local
roads and bridges have the funding to continue to serve Albertans and the industries that
are important to Alberta’s prosperity?
While industrial development is vital to Alberta’s prosperity, industry places a major strain
on Alberta’s rural roads and bridges. What role do you see industry having in ensuring
that rural transportation infrastructure remains sustainable?
Rail safety is often regarded as a federally-regulated issue with tremendous local impacts.
What role should the Government of Alberta play in working with municipalities and the
Government of Canada to ensure that trains travel safely through Alberta’s communities?
Due to Alberta’s growth, urban transportation infrastructure such as ring roads and light
rail are often the most discussed transportation issues in the province. However, rural
municipalities are responsible for the majority of Alberta’s transportation infrastructure.
How would you balance urban transportation needs that are based on population growth
with rural transportation needs that are less visible and based on industrial growth?
The province is currently in the process of developing a 50-Year Transportation Strategy
for Alberta. Where do you see rural transportation infrastructure fitting into the long-term
vision for the movement of people and goods throughout the province?
Position Statements
Taxation revenues alone are not sufficient to build and/or maintain municipal
infrastructure.
Long-term, predictable funding from other levels of government is necessary to ensure the
network of roads and bridges support Alberta’s economic drivers and address the
infrastructure deficit.
Municipalities are in the best position to determine local infrastructure priorities and should
be empowered to meet those priorities.
Long-term capital planning and asset management initiatives are important tools to
maximizing municipal resources in the provision of infrastructure. The AAMDC
encourages these efforts and works with various committees in support of this type of
planning.
Rail is an essential component of the provincial transportation network and should be a
factor in all long-term transportation planning in Alberta.
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Background Information
Rural municipalities collectively manage approximately 75% of roads and 60% of bridges in
Alberta. This makes transportation and infrastructure a significant priority for rural municipalities.
Alberta’s transportation network is used extensively both rural residents and industry. It allows
farmers to reach their fields, it allows oil and gas operators to access their well pads, and it allows
Alberta’s abundant natural resources find their way to global markets.
For rural municipalities and the rural economy, transportation is not only about roads and bridges.
Rail has become a very important issue in rural Alberta, as rail safety is top of mind due to several
major derailments in recent years, as well as the reliability of Canada’s rail system in moving
Alberta’s agricultural and natural resource products through the supply chain. A safe, reliable, and
well-funded rural resource network is essential for the continued growth of rural Alberta and the
province’s economy.
Rural Roads and Bridges: For the past three provincial budgets, including 2015-16, the
Government of Alberta has zero-funded the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program
(STIP), which includes the Local Road Bridge Program and the Resource Road Program. The
failure to fund this critical program adds to the growing infrastructure deficit which is expected to
take $70 million per year for the next ten years to close for local road bridges alone. While zero-
funding the STIP may not be felt at the provincial level, rural municipalities are already feeling the
pinch and have resorted to closing or changing the use conditions of bridges. This has a broader
impact on Alberta’s extensive transportation network which allows industry to access Alberta’s
natural resources and move those resources to market. For many rural municipalities, road and
bridge funding is the single
Rail Safety: Due to a recent wave of serious derailments, rail safety has become a key policy
issue for all levels of government across Canada. Municipalities, including those in rural Alberta,
have begun to demand information on the goods being transported through their communities as
well as an assurance that railways will work with them to develop emergency response protocols
in the event of a rail disaster. While the majority of Canada’s rail system is under federal
jurisdiction, Alberta’s rural municipalities require the support of the Government of Alberta in
having their voices heard, especially as transporting petroleum products by rail is a significantly
relevant issue in the province.
Rural Alberta’s Role in Alberta’s and Canada’s Transportation System: Alberta is Canada’s
economic engine and rural Alberta is home to the majority of Alberta’s natural resources.
Currently, both the federal and Alberta governments are in the process of undertaking review of
their respective transportation systems. For the federal government, this is taking place as part of
the Canada Transportation Act review, while in Alberta, it is part of the 50-Year Transportation
Strategy development process. It is vital that both of these processes consider the fact that in any
supply chain that aims to facilitate the movement of Canada’s resources to foreign markets, rural
transportation systems are often the first link. While transnational trade corridors and multimodal
shipping hubs are vital, they are irrelevant if goods cannot be moved safely and efficiently from
the source. As was demonstrated in 2013’s grain by rail backlog, it takes the collective efforts of
all levels of government to work together to seek solutions and make all levels of Alberta’s and
Canada’s transportation system as efficient as possible.
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4. Energy and Resource Development
Sample Questions
Resource development has provincial benefits, but often most directly impacts local
municipalities. How would you balance the need for a streamlined project review process
with the importance of providing municipalities with an opportunity to voice the local
perspective on a resource development project?
What strategies do you feel would be most effective in further mitigating environmental
concerns related to natural resource developments?
Discuss what you see as the primary local benefits and local costs of resource
development.
In your opinion, how could the AER’s project approval process be improved?
Position Statements
AAMDC members are often directly impacted by energy projects because rural Alberta is
the home to the majority of these projects.
Municipalities should have the ability to balance demands of industry and resource
extraction, such as aggregate, with environmental stewardship, planning and approval
processes, and taxation levies.
Impacted municipalities must be thoroughly consulted and given an opportunity to voice
their concern or support for a proposed energy project.
Alberta has moved to a single provincial regulatory body (AER) for energy projects, which
means that municipalities have only one opportunity to have their concerns heard. As a
result, municipalities should have automatic standing at all project review hearings in order
to ensure that local land use and development plans are taken into consideration.
Industry must be willing to work with municipalities to design projects that will benefit
rural communities through job creation while mitigating impacts on municipal
infrastructure and the local environment.
In order for municipalities and the resource sector to co-exist, policy and regulations
relating to compensation, rights-of-way, safety, and pipeline alignment negotiations must
be fair and consider the municipal perspective regardless of the regulating authority
(provincial or federal).
Oil and gas development projects must proceed in a way that causes minimal damage to
the environment, including impacts on water quality. Municipalities must have the ability
to voice concerns about such environmental issues.
Municipalities have to balance the demands of industry and citizens when considering
the environmental impact of development. The government should take necessary steps
to ensure natural resource exploration does not pose a threat to the environment or
compromise environmental sustainability (ex. protection of surface and groundwater
supply).
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Background Information
Alberta’s economy continues to be reliant on its vast natural resources which are primarily
extracted from areas within rural municipalities. Rural Alberta is home to forestry operations, oil
wells of various types, mining operations, and aggregate (gravel) pits. In addition to the extraction
sites, rural municipalities are also home to the transportation networks that move these products
to export markets including pipelines, rail lines, and highways, as well as processing and refining
facilities.
Although energy and resource development brings widespread benefits to many areas of rural
Alberta, there are also local challenges associated with community safety, land-use planning, and
the environmental impacts of development. While many of these projects and their approval
processes typically fall outside of the jurisdiction of local municipalities, it is often local
municipalities who are must respond to accidents and address resident concerns about noise,
odour, or potential environmental impacts.
Local Input in Development Project Approvals: Oil and gas-related development projects are
approved, monitored, and regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). All such projects
must move through an approval process and meet specific environmental and safety criteria,
which varies based on the development type. Although these often have significant local land use
and environmental impacts, the host municipality does not always have the ability to voice their
concerns or support for the project. As energy development is both a provincial and local issue,
the AAMDC believes that local municipal perspective should always be considered by the AER
when approving a project application. Local and use planning is a vital responsibility for rural
municipalities, and those plans should be considered when approving all types of energy
development.
Balancing Industrial Development and Environmental Protection: In addition to local land
use concerns, industrial development, especially that linked to natural resources exploration, has
the potential to cause environmental impacts, which are most acutely felt at the local level. In
many cases, natural resource extraction requires large amounts of ground water and carries the
potential to impact surrounding aquifers and groundwater sources. The AAMDC believes that the
province should, with the support of the host municipalities, ensure that all sources of water and
other environmentally sensitive areas are protected prior to approving an industrial development
project. This already occurs, but by better utilizing local familiarity with the environment, the
effectiveness of such requirements can be increased.
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5. Environment
Sample Questions
The AAMDC and municipalities have been engaged in the development of regional plans
under Land-use Framework, with the understanding that municipal plans will align with
regional plans to provide a cohesive approach to planning. How would you balance the
need for local or regional growth with the targets identified under specific regional plans?
What strategies do you feel would be most effective in further mitigating environmental
concerns related to land-use planning?
Water management will continue to be an area of importance as the province continues
to grow. How will you balance the various demands for this resource?
If elected, what will you do to ensure the appropriate funding mechanisms are in place to
support water and wastewater infrastructure in all areas of the province?
Position Statements
Environmental responsibility in Alberta focuses on air, land, water and biodiversity.
Municipalities play a key role in front-line environmental management in all of these areas
in order to provide healthy communities for citizens.
Municipalities are responsible for land-use planning decisions which take into
consideration the environmental impacts of growth, development or land-use changes.
Municipalities must always strive to find a balance between being responsible
environmental stewards and their capacity in terms of financial and human resources.
Environmental stewardship requires effective communication between municipalities, First
Nations, the provincial and federal governments, industry, citizens and other stakeholders.
To promote sound environmental stewardship, it is necessary to have coordinated
legislation and jurisdiction to protect water bodies and the environmentally sensitive areas
adjacent to them.
Environmental impacts and agricultural considerations are key components in municipal
land-use planning (ex. flood mitigation and drought mitigation).
Adequate funding needs to be put into place to ensure Alberta’s rural areas are
guaranteed equitable access to safe and secure water as urban areas.
Protecting Alberta’s rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater is an important priority for
municipalities and as a resource, water must be well managed through conservation and
protection.
Provincial funding programs such as Water for Life must be reinstated as soon as possible.
Each year water and wastewater infrastructure funding is insufficient, the infrastructure
gap grows and Alberta’s municipal water network becomes more vulnerable.
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Any significant regulatory changes to municipal water management and distribution
processes must be accompanied by reasonable funding to assist municipalities in
implementation.
Background Information
Environmental considerations impact municipalities in multiple ways including land-use planning,
water management, and the need to manage growth responsibly. As the host of industrial
development, agricultural production, tourism, and residential living, rural municipalities must
practice environmental management to balance local economic growth with the need to protect
the land.
Land-use planning and responsible growth: A key municipal responsibility is to ensure that
the environmental impacts of growth, development or land-use changes are considered in any
municipal land use planning process. Municipalities work within a legislative framework
established by the federal and provincial governments to ensure environmental impacts are
considered during decision-making processes and work with neighbouring municipalities and
landowners to promote environmental stewardship. This includes consideration of impacts of
land-use, such and industry and agriculture, and the protection of water bodies and the sensitive
areas adjacent to them. Responsible growth planning involves working with other municipalities
and stakeholders to ensure a balanced approach is taken.
Water Management: Municipalities play an important role in responsible water management to
meet human need, support healthy aquatic ecosystems and support economic growth. They work
with other levels of government to align policies and practices with legislated requirements to
ensure resources are managed appropriately to provide residents, industry and businesses with
safe and secure water sources to meet their needs. Adequate funding needs to be in place to
support infrastructure needs, address implementation costs resulting from regulatory changes
and support municipalities in managing water resources.
Municipalities rely on provincial funding through such programs as the Alberta Municipal
Water/Wastewater Partnership and Water for Life to support infrastructure costs associated with
the supply and treatment of water.
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6. Agriculture
Sample Questions
As the province continues to grow, competing demands for land will continue. What will
you do to ensure valuable agricultural lands are protected to enable the ongoing success
of the industry?
Enhancing the agricultural industry in Alberta requires ongoing investment at the provincial
level. If elected, what steps would you take to promote the agricultural industry and
enhance opportunities to diversify the economy?
If elected, what additional supports would you recommend being implemented to ensure
agricultural producers have access to programs to address the unpredictability of the
industry related to items such as pests and inclement weather?
Position Statements
Agriculture is a vital industry in Alberta and a way of life in many rural municipalities.
As the voice for rural Alberta, the AAMDC advocates for the need to protect and promote
the agriculture industry to ensure it remains a contributor to Alberta’s economy.
The agriculture industry requires consistent support to promote industry sustainability due
to its complex nature.
Agricultural income is vulnerable to extreme market fluctuations and natural disasters.
Assistance for producers should be designed to support the industry and address
concerns such as crop damage due to hail, pest infestations, drought, and market
fluctuations.
The financial health of Alberta’s agriculture industry has local, provincial, and national
economic significance.
Agricultural producers in Alberta work with multiple levels of government in a variety of
capacities. This includes working with municipal governments for land use planning
decisions, the provincial government for income support and insurance and federal
funding programs.
Municipalities and agriculture producers work with provincial regulatory bodies on the
approval process regarding operations (ex. Natural Resources Conservation Board).
Agricultural production has evolved with the availability of new technologies and
educational opportunities for producers. Incorporating technological and educational
advancements in order to remain competitive is essential to the viability of the industry.
To promote positive environmental practices, recycle programs need to be developed to
address plastics used in the agricultural industry.
Background Information
Rural Alberta is home to an expansive agricultural industry that is a vital contributor to the
provincial economy. In a growing province with increased demands on land and resources,
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sustaining and promoting the agriculture industry should be a priority. Alberta’s economy cannot
continue to rely on oil and gas and the agriculture industry contributes to economic diversification
and infrastructure support for allow market access for agriculture products is essential.
Competing demands for land- use: Competing demands for land-use in a growing province
have impacts on the agriculture industry. The Land-use Framework acknowledges the impacts of
urban sprawl and seeks to address the fragmentation and conversion of agricultural lands but
stronger land-use planning practices are needed to promote infill and consider the preservation
of land used for agriculture. As land-use planning is an important responsibility for municipalities,
enabling a balanced approach to meet growth needs while ensuring lands are available for
various industries, including agriculture, is essential.
Enhancing the Agriculture Industry: Last year, the Government of Alberta released the Rural
Economic Development Action Plan (REDAP) which identified opportunities to enhance, support
and further develop the agriculture industry and the rural economy. Expanding Alberta’s
agriculture industry provides an opportunity to diversify the provincial economy from the current
reliance on oil and gas. The AAMDC supports action items identified in the REDAP and is a strong
advocate for sustaining and enhancing agriculture operations that contribute to the continued
success of Alberta.