Islands Trust Act
The Islands Trust is governed by the Islands Trust Act which
- Establishes the corporate bodies of the Islands Trust
- Identifies the Islands Trust Area and the “object” (mandate) of the Islands Trust
- Confers responsibilities and powers on the corporate bodies of the Islands Trust
- Transfers land use planning powers from Regional Districts to Local Trust Committees
- Prohibits a Regional District from adopting bylaws, issuing permits or undertaking work contrary to a Local Trust Committee bylaw
- Establishes the relationship with Island Municipalities
- Guides some governance procedures
- Provides for budget and requisition of taxes
A June 30, 2010 article by Linda Adams, Islands Trust Chief Administrative Officer, provides her view on the Islands Trust Act.
Islands Trust Object
Islands Trust - Legislative History
Other Acts and Regulations
The Islands Trust 'Object'
The object provides the ‘purpose’ for all Islands Trust corporate bodies.
The object of the Trust is to preserve and protect the Trust Area and its unique amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the Trust Area and of British Columbia generally, in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and organizations and the government of British Columbia.
Islands Trust - Legislative History
The Islands Trust is a unique form of government, created by the province in 1974 to control unbridled development and to ‘preserve and protect’ the islands. Since then, the province has amended the Islands Trust Act many times to make it more effective. For example, it increased local representation in 1977, improved local autonomy in 1989, introduced open meetings and freedom of information in 1998 and updated ethical standards in 2003. Changes to the Act have included:
1974 - The Province recognizes the Gulf Islands as a unique area threatened by over-development and establishes the Islands Trust. The Islands Trust Act solidified the Province’s mandate to preserve and protect the environment and unique nature of the islands.
1977 - Islands Trust Act amended to give Islands Trust land use planning authority
1989 - Islands Trust Act amended - Trust Fund Board, Policy Statement and autonomy
1994 - Islands Trust Act amended to allow Trust Council to enter into coordination agreements and to authorize an increase in the size of the Executive Committee
1994 - Islands Trust Policy Statement approved by the Province of BC
1995 - Islands Trust Act amended to enable better coordination of local planning
1998 - Islands Trust Act amended to require open meetings and freedom of information
2000 - Islands Trust Act amended to provide capacity for First Nation protocol agreements
2002 - Islands Trust Act amended due to new Community Charter
2002 - Islands Trust Act amended to enable the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption program
2003 - Islands Trust Act amended to include new ethical conduct rules
2009 - Islands Trust Act amended to enable Islands Trust corporate bodies to hold electronic meetings.
2010 - Islands Trust Act amended to enable Bowen Island Municipality to join the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP)
Other Acts and Regulations
Please visit our Acts and Regulations page for a listing of the Acts and Regulations that Islands Trust references most frequently.
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