Flooding and Food Security Delegation Refused by Delta Council

News Room - April 21, 2010 - Two requests for a delegation to the Tsawwassen Area Plan Committee were denied on April 19th by Delta Council. These included a presentation on the flooding risk on the Southlands by Professional Engineer, Gary Bouwman, and on the issues of loss of farmland and food security by Professional Agrologist and Coordinator of the Richmond Food Security Society, Arzeena Hamir.

Both delegations were proposed to provide information for the process of determining a potential re-designation on the Southlands agricultural land. Although other delegations suggested by Council have been allowed to present, the Committee felt issues of flooding and agricultural land “have received considerable input from others”, according to Barry Konkin, City Planner. Mr. Konkin had originally confirmed on April 13th that a flooding presentation would be allowed at an upcoming workshop, however this confirmation was later rescinded.

“This appears as yet another example of refusing to listen to the facts they don’t want to hear” said Dana Maslovat, one of the organizers of Southlands the Facts, “These requests are for qualified professionals to provide valuable information on issues that are critical to making an informed decision about the future of Tsawwassen”.

The potential re-designation of the Southlands agricultural land to accommodate a housing development is by far the most contentious component of the process undertaken to revise the existing Tsawwassen Area Plan. Any re-designation will change the Official Community Plan and open up the Southlands for a 1900 unit housing development by Century Holdings. This piece of farmland was the cause of the longest public hearing in Commonwealth history and a resident run plebiscite in 1989, which prevented a 2000 unit development that was proposed for the same property.