The B.C. government introduced new legislation aiming to apply uniform standards and further government oversight to qualified professionals in the province’s resource extraction industries.

The Professional Governance Act, tabled on Monday, is based off the findings of a review of B.C.’s professional reliance system undertaken by University of Victoria environmental law professor Mark Haddock, at the NDP-Green coalition’s request. The report, which was released in July, recommended the government put a consistent definition of a “qualified person” into legislation, where before it was left to the discretion of the mine manager.

If the act is passed, the government says it will “establish an office of the superintendent of professional governance” that will provide consistency and oversight to qualified persons in the various industries.

Previously, the professions covered by the act were overseen by several self-governing bodies, which include: BC Institute of Agrologists, Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC, College of Applied Biology, Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC) and Association of BC Forest Professionals. Under the Professional Governance Act, each of those regulators will be brought under the umbrella of the new office.

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“This legislation is about making sure we live up to our responsibilities to British Columbians in protecting our natural heritage for our kids and grandkids,” environment and climate change strategy minister George Heyman said in a statement. “This legislation ... symbolizes a recommitment to putting the public interest first when it comes to managing our natural resources.”

When the findings from Haddock’s report were first released, there was some pushback from industry associations such as the Mining Association of British Columbia and Engineers and EGBC. This new legislation, however, has support from the EGBC, as well as the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

“The professional reliance model plays a vital role in maintaining the competitiveness of B.C.,” CAPP Western Canada operations vice-president Brad Herald said in a statement. “We support the government’s effort to achieve strong and consistent governance across all professional organizations to ensure responsible resource development.”

The government also said that specific ministries will consider other recommendations made by the report, and that the current act may be broadened to include additional professions once the act is implemented.