British Columbia, January 21, 2025 – Public Land Use Society (PLUS) welcomes the Government of British Columbia’s decision to pause its proposed overhaul of the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA), following widespread concern from industry, recreation groups, municipalities, and the public. PLUS cautions, however, that the pause alone does not resolve the underlying governance concerns.
“Despite the legislative pause, we are already seeing elements of the proposed framework, particularly intangible heritage concepts, appear in new work permits,” said Warren Mirko, Executive Director of the Public Land Use Society. “These examples suggest the policy direction is already influencing decisions and are now under review by PLUS.”
British Columbians have already experienced this pattern. After the Province abandoned proposed Land Act amendments that would have formalized First Nations co-management of Crown land, the same authorities re-emerged through land-use and reconciliation agreements negotiated in secret and outside the legislative process.
The proposed HCA amendments would have expanded Indigenous decision-making authority over heritage sites on both private and Crown land and introduced vague “intangible heritage” concepts capable of restricting land use even where no archaeological site exists.
The pause reflects sustained pressure from organizations calling for transparency and warning of increased project costs through expanded permitting requirements, including the Association for Mineral Exploration, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, BC Real Estate Association, Business Council of BC, Urban Development Institute, and the Union of BC Municipalities.
PLUS will continue monitoring government actions and advocating for land-use policy that respects Indigenous rights and upholds the public interest and democratic accountability.
To support informed public discussion, PLUS has published extensive analysis examining the legal, economic, and governance implications of HCA reforms and related land-use decisions. Relevant background and commentary include:
- Proposed changes to Heritage Conservation Act expand First Nations decision making on Crown land
- Proposed changes to Heritage Act spell disaster
- Heritage Conservation Act reforms hide transfer of Crown land authority behind closed doors
- B.C.’s Crown land strategy demands public scrutiny
- UNDRIP is strangling Canada’s economy
- The extreme ideology behind B.C.’s radical reconciliation agenda
About PLUS
Public Land Use Society (PLUS) is a provincial non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring decisions about both public and private land in British Columbia are transparent, lawful, and made in the public interest. These decisions shape homes, businesses, and communities across the province. PLUS supports a balanced approach to managing Crown land that safeguards public access, ensures British Columbians have a meaningful say in decisions affecting these lands, and requires that any authority beyond that of the B.C. government has a clear and transparent legal basis under Canadian law.
Media Contact
Warren Mirko
Executive Director, Public Land Use Society (PLUS)
[email protected]