BC Budget 2019

a lone vehicle traveling the sea to sky highway with the Sunshine Coast in the distance

CLEANBC: PROTECTING NATURE, POWERING OUR FUTURE

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY WHILE PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO PEOPLE’S POCKETS

New funding for CleanBC initiatives totaling $902 million over three years — makes sure that we can meet our climate commitments and protect our clean air, land and water.

This includes $41 million over three years to make energy-saving improvements more accessible and affordable for all British Columbians

To save families money on their renovation costs, we are supporting clean energy retrofits for peoples’ homes. People can receive:

$2,000 to replace a fossil fuel (oil, propane or natural gas) heating system with an electric air-source heat pump
Up to $1,000 to upgrade their windows and doors to be better insulated
Up to $700 toward a higher efficiency natural gas furnace

MAKING ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES MORE AFFORDABLE

We are investing tens of millions of dollars to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable for people in B.C. This will save people up to $6,000 on their purchase, and approximately $1,500 per year in gas costs.
Making zero-emission vehicles more accessible also means having the infrastructure in place to support their use:

$20 million for new public fast-charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations
$6 million to support clean energy vehicle sector, including training programs for automotive technicians and electricians

BOOSTING THE CLIMATE ACTION TAX CREDIT

Effective July 1, 2019, the maximum annual climate action tax credit will be 14% higher for adults and children, meaning low and middle-income families of four will receive:

Up to $400 starting July 1, 2019, and
$500 starting July 1, 2021

SUPPORTING CLEANER BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

To help large industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Budget 2019 invests $168 million over three years, providing incentives for industry to reduce their GHG emissions.
Investing $15 million this year to make sure remote communities are supported as they switch to cleaner energy.

BUILDING A RESILIENT ECONOMY

CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

Investing $6.6 billion in transportation projects to meet current and future transportation needs.
We’re investing in better public transit with an additional $21 million to expand BC Transit services in 30 communities across the province.
$50 million to expand high-speed internet service even further in more than 200 communities.

STRENGTHENING B.C.’S RESOURCE INDUSTRIES

An additional $111 million over three years to strengthen B.C.’s efforts to prevent and respond to wildfires, and $13 million for forest restoration in areas damaged by disease and wildfires.
An investment of $10 million over three years to support coast forest sector revitalization.
A historic $20 million investment to increase the number of mines inspectors and support a new auditing function.

MODERNIZING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE

We are building the roads, hospitals and schools B.C. Needs with an investment of more than $20 billion in infrastructure in communities throughout the province, supporting tens of thousands of jobs during construction.

B.C. IS AN ECONOMIC LEADER IN CANADA

B.C. has the strongest economy in the country with the highest projected real GDP growth, lowest unemployment rate, and biggest wage gains nation-wide. Last year, wages in British Columbia increased by 4.1%, leading all of Canada. This is the strongest wage growth in B.C. in a decade.
B.C.’s unemployment rate remains the lowest in Canada — for the 17th month in a row — at 4.7% in January 2019. Private sector jobs have fuelled employment growth in the province, with an increase of 64,800 in the past year.