Agricultural Area Plan Implementation

Background

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Agricultural Area Plan (AAP) was adopted in 2012. The AAP includes 128 recommended Action Items that originated through extensive public and stakeholder consultation with the local farming community, Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) input, and Board review. Following the adoption of the AAP, the AAC reviewed the AAP’s 128 Action Items and identified 68 of them as the highest priority to consider within the first work plan. These priority action items were organized into projects and tasks identified in an Implementation Action Plan for the 2014-2016 work period. 

Since them the Implementation Action Plan has been reviewed and updated in 2016, 2020, and most recently in 2024/2025. While progress had been made on the Implementation Action Items between 2012 and 2024, some of the Action Items have not been completed. To support the 2025-2027 Agricultural Area Plan Implementation Action Plan update, the Board passed several resolutions between 2023 and 2024 to provide funding for an update to Implementation Plan to endorse the project. Following endorsement, staff worked closely with the AAC and agricultural consultants to update the plan to include a revised an updated list of high priority actions within the RDN's purview.