No second opinion allowed – Bill M-216 centralizes approvals, bans peer reviews
Municipalities across British Columbia are calling for the withdrawal of Bill M-216, the Professional Reliance Act, after hearing from urbanists, urban planners, architects, and academics with backgrounds in development. They fear that the bill creates significant risks for new homeowners and taxpayers, by removing the ability of local governments to review development proposals.
Bill M-216 would replace municipal oversight by prohibiting municipalities from asking for a standard technical peer review during housing development applications when there are concerns instead, force them to accept project certification professionals hired by the developers themselves.
In addition to removing independent oversight, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and municipalities including Fort St. John, are concerned that Bill M-216 will slow down development approvals, create liabilities for local governments, while taking a one-size fits all approach that ignores local and regional needs.
For example, to resolve a technical dispute between the Professional Governance Act professional retained by the developer and one employed by a local government, Bill M-216 would refer it to an eight-member Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance. The office, based in Victoria, would be responsible for handling dispute resolutions from 161 municipalities and 27 regional districts.