Chairs of three northwest B.C. regional districts will soon meet with the new provincial government in the hope of beginning negotiations to achieve a shared revenue agreement for the region.

The regional district chairs will hold separate meetings with B.C. premier John Horgan and Green Party leader Andrew Weaver in mid-August.

Bill Miller, Chair of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, explained that these meetings will aim to familiarize the new leaders with what the Northwest B.C. Resource Benefit Alliance (RBA) is proposing.

鈥淎ndrew Weaver didn鈥檛 know what the RBA was during the election,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淭hat meeting will aim to explain our position so he has a better understanding.鈥�

During the provincial election, Horgan was the only major party leader who committed to start negotiations for a revenue sharing agreement with northwest B.C. by September 2017.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e hoping to do here is to set some timing on when we can start the negotiations,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e really looking for is to open that conversation.鈥�

However, Miller said he understands that the province and many local governments are now focused on the emergency response to all the wildfires across the province, and that he doesn鈥檛 expect formal negotiations to begin immediately.

Miller explained that once negotiations formally start, they will include the presence of government staff and lawyers. The RBA has also been working with the newly elected northwest MLAs to maximize its potential.

鈥淲e鈥檒l try to get our MLAs together so we can strategize a bit how we are going to approach the new government,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that we have a united alliance.鈥�

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e after ultimately is a reasonable and proportionate amount according to what economic stuff is going on in our region,鈥� he added.

Formed in 2014, the RBA represents 21 local governments in the regional districts of Bulkley-Nechako, Kitimat-Stikine and Skeena-Queen Charlotte. The RBA estimates that current infrastructure needs in northwest B.C. total $600 million.

Earlier this year, Miller said it鈥檚 important to educate the provincial government on how much revenue is generated in the northwest and what residents currently see in return.

鈥淭hey [province] see us as a burden, which doesn鈥檛 make sense at all because at the end of the day we鈥檙e the ones that are producing the dollars that pay for their highways,鈥� said Miller. 鈥淲e are revenue generators.鈥�