A new agreement signed between the Province, the Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and the BC Oil and Gas Commission (Commission) will support economic development and provide greater land use certainty in northeast British Columbia.

The March 2013 petroleum and natural gas rights sale resulted in over $41 million in bonus bids, bringing the fiscal year total to over $115,240,077.

The Province is directing the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to exempt transmission upgrades that support industrial development in the Northwest from a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN).

Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas announced that work will begin on the 287-kilovolt Iskut extension to the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) this spring.

The Province is allowing strata corporations to pursue alternate approaches to financial reporting, rather than mandating a requirement to prepare audited financial statements under the Strata Property Act.

BC Pavilion Corporation and the BCGEU Local 1703 have both ratified a three-year agreement under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate.

Starting September 2013, mining permit amendments will no longer be required for some low-impact exploration activities.

The $1.6-million LiveSmart BC: Small Business program will be extended another year, until March 31, 2014.