“Primer on Land Development Process in BC” showcased to elected representatives at 2013 UBCM Convention
Administrative Framework for Implementing Rainwater Management: How Local Government can Bridge the Gap between Awareness and Capability
In 2002, looking at rainfall differently led the Province of British Columbia to adopt the Water Balance Methodology, initiate a performance target approach to capturing rain where it falls, and initiate changes in the ways rainwater runoff is returned to streams. The latest Primer to be released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia describes the Land Development Process, with a specific focus on the roles and responsibilities of those who are involved in implementing industry standards of practice.
“There is a knowledge vacuum in BC. and this has resulted in a gap between awareness of what needs to be done, and the capability of local government staff and others to implement standards of practice that will ultimately achieve the goal of 
mimicking the natural Water Balance following development,” states Jim Dumont, the Partnership’s Engineering Applications Authority, and principal author of the Primer on Land Development Process in BC.
“The land development sector is experiencing the consequences of the demographic shift that is occurring society-wide. There is staff turnover; and long-term experience and wisdom is not being passed on to the next generation. Increasingly, it seems that few administrative staff and even fewer members of the general public really understand the land development process.”
“Before we can even begin to look at solutions we need to recognize the knowledge vacuum and provide information to fill it. When there is a knowledge base, then solutions are much easier to implement. To fill this educational need, the goal of the Primer on Land Development Process in BC is to provide practitioners with an understanding of the legal and administrative framework for land development,” concludes Jim Dumont.
To Learn More:
To download a copy, click on Primer on Land Development Process in BC: Industry Standards of Practice in Implementing Rainwater Management.