Real Property Governance Act

Summary#

Bill 13 creates a single, government-wide system to track and manage land and buildings owned or leased by the Government of Alberta and its agencies. It also gives the Minister of Infrastructure first chance to take over surplus properties before they are sold outside government. The goal is to make property decisions more consistent, support priority projects, and get better value from public assets.

• Sets up a central inventory of all provincial real property (land, buildings, structures).
• Requires departments and government agencies to keep their property records and updates in a standard format.
• Before selling or transferring surplus property to anyone outside government, departments and agencies must notify the Minister and offer to transfer it to the Department of Infrastructure at “net book value” (accounting value).
• The Minister decides whether to repurpose the property for other public uses or decline and let it be sold outside government.
• Some properties are exempt (for example, grazing leases, certain donated university lands, some affordable housing with title conditions, and contaminated sites).
• This Act overrides other Alberta laws if they conflict, except the privacy law (FOIP).
• From first reading of the bill until it becomes law, agencies must get their own minister’s written approval before making new deals to sell or transfer surplus property.

What it means for you#

• General public

  • You may see some unused government buildings or land repurposed for other public needs (like schools, health facilities, housing, or offices) rather than sold right away.
  • Sales of government property to private buyers may take longer, because Infrastructure must review and decide first.

• Communities and local governments

  • Property decisions should be more consistent across departments, which could make future planning easier.
  • Some redevelopment projects that rely on buying provincial land could face added steps and timelines.

• Homebuyers, nonprofits, and developers

  • If you want to buy surplus provincial property, expect an extra review step. The province can keep the asset for another public use before it goes on the market.
  • Timelines and processes may become more standardized across government, but initial reviews could add time.

• Government employees and agencies

  • You must maintain up-to-date property records and follow one set of rules for reporting.
  • If a site is no longer needed, you must first offer it to Infrastructure at its accounting value and follow the Minister’s directions.

• Farmers and ranchers

  • Grazing leases and access to grazing leases are not affected by the “offer to transfer” rule.

• Post-secondary institutions and affordable housing providers

  • Certain donated university lands and single-family affordable housing with title conditions are excluded from the transfer offer rule.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• A single inventory helps the province know what it owns, avoid waste, and plan better.
• Central review can redirect surplus sites to top priorities (schools, health, housing) instead of selling them too soon.
• Common rules across departments can prevent rushed or below-value sales and improve value for taxpayers.
• Coordinated sales of truly unneeded properties could raise more revenue for public services.
• The Act deals only with government-held property and clarifies it does not create new expropriation rights or claims.

Opponents' View#

• Central control could slow property sales and add red tape, increasing holding costs.
• Departments and agencies lose flexibility to manage their own assets.
• The bill does not require public reporting of the inventory, which may limit transparency about what the government owns and why it keeps or sells assets.
• Decisions about which properties to keep or sell could be influenced by politics rather than local needs.
• Building and maintaining the new system may add costs and administrative work.
• The temporary restriction on new sale agreements after first reading could disrupt planned deals and create uncertainty.