Category:

“On behalf of the Metro Vancouver Utilities Committee, I invited Kim Stephens to provide us with an update on inter-regional collaboration through the participation of five regional districts in the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative,” stated Mayor Darrell Mussatto, Chair. In 2017-2018, federal-provincial funding enabled the Partnership to move forward with three parallel initiatives that have further strengthened the ‘twin pillars’ of the IREI.

“It is evident that there are many champions in local government; and it is important that we recognize and celebrate what they are doing. This is all part of creating our future. And when we ask ‘what will this community look like in 50 years’, we can point to the green infrastructure examples and then we will know what it will look like in 50 years,” stated Mayor Lois Jackson.

In his report to the Board, Fred Nenninger wrote that “The Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative helps Metro Vancouver and its members better deliver on regulatory commitments and actions identified in the ‘rainwater component’ of the Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan. The program builds local government capacity through professional development.”

According to Mayor Darrell Mussatto, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Utilities Committee, the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative will help Metro Vancouver fulfil specific actions in the region’s Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan regarding performance standards, codes of practice, certification and guidelines for on-site rainwater management.

In October 2013, Kim Stephens was invited by Metro Vancouver’s Utilities Committee to provide the members with a progress update on implementation on inter-regional collaboration as it pertains to watershed-based planning.  “A core group of local government champions representing five geographic regions affirmed that it will function as an inter-regional leadership team; and has framed the ultimate outcome of an inter-regional series of working sessions in these terms: ‘Through sharing and learning, ensure that where we are going is indeed the right way’,” stated Kim Stephens.

“Metro Vancouver’s plan for managing rainwater resources seeks improvement through innovation, using local research and development and adapting successes from elsewhere. We are asking Metro Vancouver to formalize its support for inter-regional collaboration. Then the IREI truly will be the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Educational Initiative,” states Kim Stephens.

“There is no formal mechanism to enable inter-regional collaboration. We also learned that the Partnership is trying to fill this gap by bringing together local governments around the Georgia Basin to advance a consistent approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure practices. Alignment should help everyone,” stated City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto.