Effective January 1, 2016, the revised Local Government Act, SBC 2015, c. 1, was brought into force by BC Reg #257/2015 as a limited revision under the Statute Revision Act, RSBC 1996, c. 140. It consolidates the previously existing act and its amendments, and revises it by simplifying the numbering and updating the style and language.
The Local Government Act
The Act is the primary legislation for regional districts and improvement districts, setting out the framework for governance and structure, as well as the main powers and responsibilities. Certain municipal provisions remain in effect for matters not covered by the Community Charter, SBC 2003, c. 26 . As well, the Act covers important authorities for both municipalities and regional districts, such as statutory requirements for elections, and planning and land use powers. The Act also includes key provincial powers such as authority for the BC Building Code and the office of the Inspector of Municipalities.
The Local Government Act is one of the most heavily used and most amended acts in British Columbia. When the Community Charter came into force in 2004, consequential amendments resulted in numbering gaps, decimal additions and disorganization, particularly for regional district provisions.
What does this mean?
The revised Local Government Act replaces part of the Local Government Act, RSBC 1996, c. 323, as of January 1, 2016.
The authority for this can be found in section 7(2) of the Statute Revision Act which states that when a limited revision comes into force, the Acts or provisions it replaces are repealed to the extent that they are incorporated in the limited revision.
Section 8(1) states that a revision does not operate as new law but has effect and must be interpreted as a consolidation of the law contained in the Acts and provisions replaced by the revision.
How do I cite it?
As per section 6(2) of the Statute Revision Act, a limited revision may be given a chapter number as if it were enacted in the current session of the Legislative Assembly, and the limited revision may be published in the volume of Acts enacted in that session.
Therefore, this act will now be cited as the revised Local Government Act, RSBC 2015, c. 1.
What happened to the other part of the act?
Only a part of the Local Government Act, RSBC 1996, c. 323 was revised into the new Local Government Act, RSBC 2015, c.1. The rest was retitled the Municipal Replotting Act, RSBC 1996, c. 323, by RSBC 2015, c. 1, Revised Schedule, section 55.
The change came into force on January 1, 2016.
Is there a Table of Concordance?
Yes, there are two.
- Local Government Act - Table of Concordance, 1996-2015
- Local Government Act - Table of Concordance, 2015-1996
If you look at the Table of Concordance, 1996-2015, any provisions noted as "Not Revised" remain in the retitled Act (the Municipal Replotting Act).
Resources
- Will there be another Revised Statutes of British Columbia?
- Revisions persuant to the Statute Revision Act
- A guide to legislation and legislative process in British Columbia: Part 4: Statute Revisions
Contact
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
Governance and Structure Branch
Tel: 250-387-4020
E-mail: LGgovernance@gov.bc.ca
updated February 3, 2016