In November 2023, RMA’s Quasi-judicial Agencies Committee (QJAC) released a report with eight recommendations for government and agencies to improve integration of rural municipal perspectives into engagement and approval processes. The report focused on the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) who regulate developments such as electricity generation, oil and gas facilities, and confined feeding operations.
In response to further member resolutions concerning municipal participation in regulatory processes, RMA revisited the 2023 QJAC report to assess government and agency progress in implementing the recommendations. Overall, while there have been some process changes that better integrate municipal perspectives, no agency has made significant progress against the 2023 QJAC recommendations. While the provincial government has not been effective in fulfilling its critical role in setting expectations for transparent public interest-decision making, the report highlights that improvements do not necessarily rely on legislative reform – smaller, incremental actions can make an outsized difference.
The progress report is now publicly available, QJAC Revisited.
For more information, contact RMA’s Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@rmalberta.com.