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ECONOMY: New rules, higher cost await land development in Alberta
        (AlbertaIndex, January 14, Monday) --- The provincial government is expected to announce new rules and guidelines on land development that will lead to more paperwork and higher cost for industry and project developers, said Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Ted Morton.
        In a speech at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce last Friday, Morton said rapid population growth and increased economic activity are putting unprecedented pressure on Alberta’s land use.

The province’s unprecedented prosperity of the last 10 years has also brought new challenges, making necessary new rules to ensure better and more efficient use of land and resources.

In a statement, his ministry said: “There are competing demands for oil and gas, forestry and mining, agriculture and recreation, housing and infrastructure - often on the same lands. While our current land management system served us well in the past, it is now being overwhelmed by the scope and pace of activity.

“What worked for us when our population was only one or two million will not get the job done as we hit four and then five million. We have reached a tipping point, where sticking with the old rules won't produce the quality of life we have come to expect.

“If we want our children to enjoy the same quality of life that current generations have, then we have to change how we make decisions about land-use. We have the opportunity today to help to shape the Alberta of tomorrow. The Land-use Framework is about seizing this opportunity.”


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