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Consistency with Government’s
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| Government Strategic Plan 2002/03–2004/05 |
Energy and Mines |
| Government Goals | |
| Goal 1: A strong and vibrant provincial Economy. | Goal 1: To increase investment in energy and mineral resource development in BC. |
| Goal 2: Safe, healthy communities and sustainable environment. | Goal 2: To maintain high environmental and health and safety standards. |
| Government Target | |
| Increase in renewable energy production from the 1999 baseline of 10%. | The ministry has established targets to achieve a 10% annual increase in investment in BC’s clean energy sector over the established baseline, over successive years covered by this Service Plan. |
| Government Strategies | |
| Establish one stop shopping for permitting/licensing. | In collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, and the Oil and Gas Commission the ministry took steps to streamline the permitting approvals process. |
| Implement policies to ensure private sector investment. | Dramatic tax cuts and regulatory
changes have enhanced BC’s competitiveness as a resource investment
location. The
20% flow-through tax credit is specifically designed to increase mineral exploration and mining in BC, and complements the staged elimination of the corporate capital tax, and elimination of provincial sales tax on production machinery and equipment. |
| Develop and implement a long-term plan of economic renewal. | In 1991, the oil and gas sector contributed just over $200 million in revenue to the province. In 2001, this figure was approximately $1.3 billion. This sector has emerged to become the highest single source of natural resource revenue in the province and is poised for further growth. By facilitating growth of the industry in the northeast and by nurturing opportunities (such as CBM) outside the region, the oil and gas sector has the potential to significantly contribute to the economic renewal of the province. |
| All ministries will meet their budget and service plan targets. | The ministry is meeting the budget target for year 2002/03. The ministry is on track to achieve all major objectives set out in its 2002/03-2004/05 Service Plan, including the objectives for doubling oil and gas production; generating $20 billion of cumulative investment in oil and gas; facilitating coal-bed methane production; and maintaining BC’s share of national exploration expenditures. A full analysis of the ministry’s degree of success in attaining its objectives will be described in the ministry’s Annual Report, scheduled for release in mid 2003. |
| Reform the province’s Crown corporations so that they focus on public service efficiency and effective service delivery. | BC Hydro is continuing to develop lines of business for generation, transmission, and distribution. Existing legislation will be amended allowing BC Hydro to outsource cost-effective service delivery. |
| Introduce a cost saving shared service administrative model for government. | The ministry participates in the implementation and management of shared services and human resources. The shared services model has been implemented for information technology and payroll. Human resources and financial systems shared services implementation is planned. The ministry ensures staff are trained in all aspects of new shared service delivery models, and the new human resources agency. |
| Encourage innovation and an entrepreneurial attitude in the professional public service. | One of the ministry’s core values is a commitment to maintain the highest standards of innovation, quality, teamwork, and develop an entrepreneurial attitude in the professional public service. The ministry’s entrepreneurship is reflected in the establishment of a New Ventures Branch to take advantage of unrealized resource opportunities, as well as the development of strategies to leverage up to $132 million in incremental revenue over the next 3 years. |
| Rationalize the numerous land and resource inventory information systems to create a central source of integrated information that can be accessed by users both within and outside government. | The ministry is participating in a Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (MSRM) initiative to create an Integrated Registry that will include all land and resource tenures. The ministry will also contribute data to an MSRM site that contains resource inventory information. |
| Develop a made in BC plan to address issues associated with greenhouse gases. | In collaboration with the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, the ministry is participating in the development of a climate change strategy for BC. An initial series of proposed measures was presented to Cabinet in October 2002 and are now under review by the Climate Change Economic Impacts Panel. The Panel’s input to government is expected by year-end 2002, coinciding with an expected ratification decision by Canada. A final strategy will be presented for Cabinet consideration in early 2003. |
| Implement a streamlined, science based, results oriented regulatory framework to protect human health and the environment. | The ministry is currently conducting a review of the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia. The objective is to, where possible, institute a results based system and reduce the regulatory burden. The review is scheduled for completion in early 2003. |
| Develop an energy policy that balances economic opportunities, conservation considerations and a safe secure energy supply for British Columbians. | The energy policy was released in November 2002, and will be implemented over the next two years, including amending existing legislation. |
| Determine the future direction for offshore oil. | The ministry has an action
plan to advance BC’s interests in offshore by:
Following up on recommendations in the Scientific Panel report and Northern Caucus Offshore Oil and Gas report; completing further geological work to narrow the scope of potential exploration areas; establishing mechanisms to include First Nations and coastal communities in offshore development plans; developing an offshore oil and gas regulatory regime; and granting UNBC $2 million to further scientific knowledge related to offshore oil and gas. |
| Establish workable relationships with First Nation communities. | The ministry is negotiating economic measures to assist First Nations participation in the energy and mining sectors in BC. |
| Develop and implement community capacity building programs. | The ministry, with the Oil and Gas Commission, signed agreements with BC based Treaty 8 First Nations that include resources for building capacity in the communities. |
Deregulation
The ministry has actively participated in all aspects of government’s deregulation initiatives. The ministry’s baseline regulation count as of June 2001 is 17,716 and the target for June 2004 is 11,870. To date it has eliminated over 1,590 requirements or about 9% of its baseline. It has furthermore enacted legislation that will permit the replacement of prescriptive by performance based regulations for the Mines Act and also reduce red tape by permitting map based claim-staking and with respect to oil and gas, strengthening the role of the Oil and Gas Commission as a single window regulatory agency.
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