Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | October 30, 2025
VICTORIA — The Province of B.C. has announced it is making 187 amendments to 38 regulations across 10 ministries to reduce red tape, improve permitting timelines and make government services more efficient and accessible.
It’s all part of the Better Regulations for British Columbians (BR4BC) amendment package, a release reads, which has led to more than 2,000 amendments since 2016. This year’s focus is on expediting permitting and approval timelines.
Examples include removing construction permit requirements for very small private water systems, simplifying the level of authority needed for special-use forestry permits and eliminating outdated provisions related to soil relocation and open burning activities.
Other changes include expanding the use of digital records and clarifying regulatory language
Here are some more specific changes.
- Contaminated Sites Regulation:
This has been amended to modernize site remediation requirements, add exemptions to streamline processes, and update outdated forms.
More than 1,200 gravel pits and quarries will benefit from simplified soil relocation rules, the release adds, allowing materials to be moved without submitting a seven-day notice. Sites already certified as clean from soil relocation requirements are now exempt from notification processes, reducing administrative burden.
- Provincial Forest Use Regulation:
The has been amended to shift approval authority for special-use permits from the ministerial level to district managers, making it easier for permit holders to carry out deactivation and remediation activities on Crown land.