Expand exemptions to land ownership limits: report

A report on legislation limiting land ownership on P.E.I. is suggesting more exemptions on those limits.

Legislation prohibits any individual from owning or controlling more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of land, with a limit of 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) for corporations.

The report by Horace Carver does not recommend a change in those limits, but does suggest more exemptions. In particular, it says landowners should be allowed to exempt a percentage of their land not used for growing crops.

There is also a recommendation that landowners be able to deduct a percentage of leased out land from their holdings. The report also calls on the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to simplify filing procedures and reduce red tape.

In all the report contains 29 recommendations.

Minister of Finance, Energy and Municipal Affairs Wes Sheridan says the government plans to table legislation in the spring to bring in the recommendations that impact land holding limits. The remaining recommendations will be dealt with at a later time.

Public meetings on the Lands Protection Act were held across the province with about 600 people attending. A total of 134 written submissions were presented.

The report was submitted to government at the end of June, and released publicly Thursday.