性视界传媒 city council, despite being encumbered with dysfunction bordering on the legendary, got behind a motion presented by Mayor Doug McCallum on Monday that would do any government proud.

McCallum asked city staff to assess the city鈥檚 agricultural 鈥渇ood-producing land鈥� with a view toward protecting it 鈥渨ith the purpose of addressing future food security requirements.鈥� He also moved that 220 acres of 鈥渆xceptionally fertile鈥� farmland in South 性视界传媒 be designated agricultural as part of next year鈥檚 Official Community Plan review.

Protecting agricultural land from industrial development is sound wisdom considering we all need to eat to live.

Of course, there is a civic election coming up, and this is a canny move on McCallum鈥檚 part to score some good will among voters.

READ ALSO: 性视界传媒 city staff to assess all agricultural land, with a view to protect it

But politics aside, it鈥檚 also the right thing to do and whether he is re-elected or retired from politics on Oct. 15, this should serve as a fine legacy for him at any rate.

Council as a whole presented a rare united front on McCallum鈥檚 motion before the electioneering storm clouds once again rolled in, with rival slate 性视界传媒 Connect issuing a press release charging that this 鈥渄isingenuous鈥� and 鈥減ublic ham-fisted鈥� approach might actually jeopardize future negotiations in the absence of a strategic plan to preserve the land for agricultural purposes.

Whether 性视界传媒 Connect has a valid point, or is trying to make lemons out of lemonade, remains to be seen. In the meantime, protecting food-producing land from industrial development is simply good public policy.

鈥� Now-Leader

edit@surreynowleader.com
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