Municipal Government Act (MGA) & Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ASLA)

Municipal Government Act (MGA)

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is the key provincial legislation that grants Northern Sunrise County the authority to undertake planning and development activities. The MGA establishes the powers and responsibilities of Council and Administration in creating policies, plans, and bylaws to regulate land use and development within the municipality. This ensures orderly physical, environmental, and economically beneficial development.

Under the MGA, municipalities are empowered to create four types of statutory plans:

  1. Municipal Development Plan (MDP): Provides a comprehensive framework for growth and development across the entire municipality.
  2. Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP): Guides collaborative planning between adjacent municipalities at their boundaries.
  3. Area Structure Plan (ASP): Offers detailed planning for specific areas within the municipality to guide future development.
  4. Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP): Focuses on the redevelopment of existing built areas within the municipality.

Additionally, the MGA enables the creation of the Land Use Bylaw, which regulates land use and development in accordance with the statutory plans. The MGA also provides enforcement mechanisms to ensure that development conforms with approved plans and bylaws.

Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA)

The Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), enacted in 2009, establishes a regional approach to land use planning through the implementation of the Alberta Land-use Framework (LUF). The ALSA aims to achieve Alberta’s long-term economic, social, and environmental goals by managing public and private lands and natural resources efficiently.

The ALSA divides the province into seven land-use regions, based on Alberta’s major watersheds, with each region expected to develop a regional plan. Northern Sunrise County is located within the Lower Peace Region. Once adopted, the Lower Peace Regional Plan will provide high-level policy direction for land use planning and decision-making within the County.