b'FROM OUR DIRECTOROF STAKEHOLDERENGAGEMENTAND ADVOCACYCapital Region Planning and Inspection ConsistencyIs It Possible?The provincial government has unveiled its grand plan to improve planning, permitting and inspections for Manitoba. Currently before the House are Bill 48 (The Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act) and Bill 49 (The Building and Electrical Permitting Improvement Act). Combined, the two bills aim to significantly change the planning process in the Manitoba Capital Region and permitting and inspections across Manitoba.Bill 48 will create a major shift in the planning process in the Winnipeg region, impacting a total of 18 municipalities. These 18 municipalities will be part of a new body that will create an overarching regional plan, and the individual municipalities and planning districts will be required to maintain consistency with that plan. This act also allows for appeals of development plans, secondary plans and zoning by-laws to go to the Manitoba Municipal Board. Many of these changes are not enthusiastically supported by the municipalities, largely due to the concern of losing local autonomy on planning decisions.Bill 49 will create a dispute resolution process to deal with code interpretation disagreements. It will also outline minimum timeframes for authorities to conduct inspections and to make decisions on building permits and occupancy permits. The bill will require a consistent electrical code across Manitoba and create a deadline for Manitoba to adopt new National Building Codes, which is something WCA has been advocating for prior to the 2019 provincial election.The overarching goal of these two pieces of legislation is consistencyconsistency in planning, consistency in service delivery and consistency in Building Code interpretation. These are goals that everyone in the construction industry should support. Most people in the industry can relate to a situation where two different inspectors say conflicting things. The hope is that Bill 49 will help address this issue. However, the legislation does leave some questions to be answered. How much will a dispute process cost? How will those costs be distributed? Will the unsuccessful party always pay the cost, or will they be shared equally? Do frivolous cases face a penalty?The questions dont end there. What is the timeframe to implement the consistent Electrical Code? It will be important for the implementation to provide time for supply-chain issues and for it to be included in the bidding process.WCA supports the provincial government in its goal of consistency, particularly as it relates to code interpretation. We look forward to working with the government to help answer the questions weve posed above and other issues relating to these changes. Together, we can build a system that is more consistent and clear for the entire industry. Darryl Harrison Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy10 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'