The Manitoba government plans to revive its aborted legislation to help livestock operations set up in the province.
Agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk told Manitoba pig producers at the Manitoba Swine Seminar that her government would introduce legislation this session to define the role of municipalities in the approval process.
“The planning act is moving forward,” said Wowchuk in a later interview.
“There will be mandatory development plans in every municipality.”
Many Manitoba hog barn developers have been frustrated by the province’s patchwork of municipal regulations and roles.
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There is no clear division of provincial and municipal roles governing the environmental review of proposed livestock operations, so some developers have found themselves not only having to get provincial environmental approvals, but others from municipalities.
Few municipal councils have expertise with environmental analysis, but often councils have stepped into the area when prodded by local residents, who are worried about the environmental impact of new barns.
Before the last provincial election the government announced it was going to introduce a law that would restrict the power of municipalities to ban hog barns because of environmental concerns.
The role of environmental review would be taken over by the province.
Municipalities would be allowed to determine what land would be zoned for agricultural uses, establish set-backs and set other livestock zoning regulations, but wouldn’t be able to ban livestock operations if they met the municipal criteria.
Keystone Agricultural Producers president David Rolfe said he is happy the legislation will finally be introduced.
“We’re looking forward to seeing it,” said Rolfe, who added many farmers are frustrated by the present confusion of roles.
Rolfe said many people think the law will only affect hog operations, but its biggest impact could be on the people hoping to take part in ethanol production.
Wowchuk said introducing the legislation will not be difficult because the government was ready to do it before the election was called.
“There has been a lot of work done on it already,” said Wowchuk.
