The Regional District of Nanaimo has now passed the required Bylaw amendments to bring its Official Community Plans into compliance with the newly enacted Provincial Riparian Areas Regulation. The Board held two well attended public information meetings and a public hearing in September to keep residents informed about this process. In cooperation with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Provincial Ministry of Environment implemented the Riparian Areas Regulation on March 31, 2006. The legislation aims to protect the features, functions, and conditions that support fish health and habitat in riparian areas.
The regulation applies to all new residential, commercial, and industrial developments adjacent to a freshwater stream. The regulation does not apply to properties adjacent to the ocean, nor does it apply to reconstruction or repair of existing structures, farm uses on agricultural lands, or lands subject to the Forest Act or Private Managed Forest Land Act.
The Riparian Areas Regulation requires local governments to protect their riparian areas in accordance with the regulation by amending their current zoning bylaws and/or Official.
Community Plans. Therefore, the RDN Bylaw amendments designate new fish habitat protection development permit areas and/or amend existing watercourse protection Development Permit Areas in each Official Community Plan area. A development permit may now be required for all development proposed within a riparian area. If you would like more information about this new Regulation, please call the RDN planning department at 390-6510 or 954-3798.
Sustainable Community Builder Checklist
The Regional District of Nanaimo is in the early stages of developing a Sustainable Community Builder Checklist in order to get people voluntarily thinking about how to develop property in a sustainable manner. It is proposed that the checklist will be used during the review of land use bylaw amendments, subdivision, and development permit applications.
The Board's intention is to introduce a checklist that is user-friendly and that allows proponents the freedom to present alternative sustainable practices. The checklist is being developed based on a review of our Regional Growth Sustainability Indicators, as well as on research into best practices used in other regions around the world.
No Hunting Please
I would like to advise all residents that the Nanoose Harbour is closed to hunting. lease keep our community and our wildlife safe by obeying this important regulation. If you have any questions about this you are welcome to contact me for more information.
Highway and Road Maintenance
In Electoral Area E, as in other areas of the RDN, residents pay taxes toward a number of services, while other services are funded by the RDN but administered through another agency. The RDN also liaises with senior levels of government to ensure residents' needs are understood and taken into consideration. For example, the RDN does not directly maintain roads and highways as this is a Provincial responsibility-but as your Area Director I am in regular contact with the Ministry of Transportation with regard to issues that affect the residents of this Area.
When residents have questions or concerns about highways, staff at the RDN can supply phone numbers for the Ministry and for Emcon (Emcon is contracted to provide highways and road maintenance within the RDN). For your convenience, the phone number for the Ministry of Transportation is 250- 751-3246, and the phone number for Emcon is 250-248-6212. These are the same numbers that I use when I have questions or concerns regarding highways or road maintenance. If you have questions regarding which services are provided by the RDN and which ones are provided by other levels of government, feel free to contact me, or visit the Electoral Area E page at www.rdn.bc.ca located under the Corporate link.
Water Conservation
The serious water shortage that Tofino residents experienced at the end of the summer should be a wakeup call to all of us. The Regional District of Nanaimo operates our water systems in the Nanoose Bay Peninsula, and it is important to remember that water restrictions are there for a reason. The RDN has four levels of water conservation. Level One is in effect during April, May, September and October and allows watering every other day. In June, July and August we jump to Level Two watering restrictions, with higher restrictions if necessary. Please remember that we need to effectively manage our water supply in order to meet our needs for drinking water, irrigation and fire protection.
Information about water conservation in the RDN is available on the WaterSmart website at www.rdn.bc.ca or from the Environmental Services Department at 954-3792.
Recreation and Parks Traveling Playground
Youth in Electoral Area E had the opportunity for some extra outdoor fun this summer when the Recreation and Parks department's Traveling Playground visited Nanoose Bay Elementary School for a week in July and a week in August. Playground organizers provided a variety of fun summer activities for six-to-12-year-olds, from field sports to beach days to scavenger hunts.
