Property owners in Alberta will have more options open to them if their land is required for major infrastructure projects, and they will have access to full compensation and the courts under recent amendments announced in the Land Assembly Project Area Amendment Act, the provincial government announced last week.The province says Bill 23 also clarifies what types of projects fall under the act and gives property owners a clearer picture of when the provincial government buys land for long-term, large-scale projects such as ring roads or water reservoirs.ìWe've heard concerns from Albertans about the law as it currently stands, and these amendments address those concerns,î Infrastructure Minister Jeff Johnson said in a statement.ìWhen government needs to buy land, property owners deserve to be consulted with, fully compensated, and have full access to the courts. These changes will ensure that they do.îThe proposed amendments give landowners the option to trigger expropriation of their land and make it clearer that landowners have the option to sell their land to government and then lease it back until the project begins, according to the province.The province says the amendments also provide a clearer explanation of the types of major transportation or water projects under the act and clarify that the bill cannot be used for standalone utility or pipeline projects.The amendments also spell out that the legislation does not override the Expropriation Act, remove any suggestion that an Albertan could receive a jail sentence for violating the act, and add enhanced access to the courts, the province says.
