Project categories, designation, and tools
The Infrastructure Projects Act (Act) is a new law in British Columbia that helps speed up the delivery of major public infrastructure—like hospitals, schools, and long-term care homes—so communities can get the services they need, faster. You can read more about the Act in our news release.
Understanding project designation under the Act
The following sections describe how the Act supports faster project delivery by explaining project categories, the designation process, and tools available to designated projects.
Project categories
The Act lets the government choose (or “designate”) certain infrastructure projects as either:
- Category 1: Provincial Capital projects
- Category 2: Provincially Significant projects
Once a project is chosen, it can use tools from the Act to help speed up the review and approvals process.
Provincial Capital (category 1) projects
Provincial Capital projects are big building or upgrade projects, like schools, hospitals, or other important community infrastructure. The government will set rules to decide which projects to include. The government can also group Provincial Capital projects—like building several schools— into a “class of projects”. This helps those projects move through the permitting process more efficiently.
To be eligible as a Provincial Capital project or class of projects, the work must be done by:
- Ministry of Infrastructure
- School districts
- Universities, colleges
- Health authorities
- Other parts of government, like the Ministry of Transportation and Transit
These projects might include hospitals and cancer centres, long-term care homes, schools and post-secondary facilities, student housing, and other provincially significant infrastructure.
Provincially Significant (category 2) projects
Provincially Significant projects are important to the whole province. They are led by:
- Crown corporations (such as BC Hydro)
- Local governments
- First Nations
- Private entities
The Minister of Infrastructure will look at each project and decide if it meets the requirements to become a Provincially Significant project. If it does, the Minister will suggest it to the government.
Designation process
Once a project is chosen (“designated”) as Provincial Capital (category 1) or Provincially Significant (category 2) government would choose which tools it will use from the Act. Information about each designated project and the tools in the Act that will be used will be made public.
The process that the government will follow for designating Provincial Capital and Provincially Significant projects is described below. While this process is the same for both, they are different project categories and have different eligibility requirements.
After it approves the project and finalizes the rules, the government shares the details online. This will include information about the project and which tools it will use under the Act.
-
Step 1
Minister of Infrastructure made aware of a project (Provincial Capital or Provincially Significant) or class of projects (Provincial Capital only) that is underway and requires use of tools enabled through the Act
-
Step 2
Project or class of projects is assessed against eligibility requirements
-
Step 3
If government approves, the project or class of projects (Provincial Capital only) is designated as a Provincial Capital or Provincially Significant with tools assigned under the Act, and designation information is made public
Tools available in the Act
The Act has several tools – that are still in development – to help move projects forward faster. These tools are only accessible to projects that are chosen (“or designated”) as Provincial Capital (category 1) or Provincially Significant (category 2). The sections below group these tools into different areas. Each section has two tools that help speed up planning and approvals.
Important: These tools do not reduce the quality of environmental and safety standards, or First Nations consultation requirements.
-
Provincial Permits
Designated projects go to the front of the line for permit reviews
Let qualified experts make some low-risk decisions instead of waiting for provincial permit approval -
Environmental Assessments
Designated projects can follow a new, faster environmental assessment process – without lowering B.C.’s high environmental standards or First Nations consultation requirements
Once a project receives an Environmental Assessment Certificate, some low-risk provincial permits can be issued automatically -
Local Government Approvals
Local governments can ask the province to temporarily postpone land use planning rules, like updates to their official community plans, to avoid delays on projects
A new legal process that helps local governments and project proponents reach agreements to speed up local government approvals