![]() Samual Wilmot Natural Area, Durham Region Field Naturalists Wetlands and Natural Heritage Under AttackĪccompanying the proposed legislative changes listed above are several proposed policy changes that would have a profound and devastating impact on Ontario’s natural heritage. These changes, on top of the reduced powers of CAs, would lead to uncoordinated, piecemeal planning across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Coordinated regional planning to protect farmland and natural areas, to determine optimal locations for development and infrastructure, and to efficiently deliver municipal services would be eliminated. The planning powers of seven regional municipalities – i.e., Simcoe, Durham, Halton, Peel, Niagara, Waterloo and York – would be removed. Milton farm © Julie Dave Regional Planning Cast Aside Watershed planning, the hallmark of Ontario’s CAs, would be severely diminished, to be replaced with piecemeal planning by over 400 individual municipalities.CAs would be required to identify conservation authority owned or controlled lands that could support housing development.CAs would in effect be prohibited from providing municipalities with the expert advice and information they need on environmental and natural heritage matters. ![]() ![]() CAs would be prevented from entering into agreements with municipalities regarding the review of planning proposals or applications.CAs would no longer be able to consider pollution or the conservation of lands when issuing or refusing to issue permits.In other words, the power of CAs to regulate or prohibit development that negatively impacts wetlands, rivers or streams would be undermined. Conservation Authority (CA) permits (e.g., regarding water-taking, interference with rivers, creeks, streams, watercourses, wetlands, flood or erosion control) would no longer be required for development projects approved under the Planning Act.Bill 23 would give the Minister the power to override municipal planning decisions (e.g., amend municipal Official Plans) and impose development.įlooding along the Don Valley Parkway, Toronto © Graeme Bunton CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 More Power Stripped from Conservation Authorities.Community members and groups would be kept in the dark and no longer be able to participate in or challenge development decisions affecting their neighbourhoods or local farmland and natural areas. It would also remove people’s right to appeal planning decisions (e.g., Official Plans, zoning by-laws, minor variances). Bill 23 would remove requirements for public meetings on certain planning matters.Please stay tuned for further updates and calls to action. Our collective understanding of the bill and its implications is evolving. Overall, Bill 23 and associated policies remove and weaken environmental protections and diminish the role of Ontarians in land use planning and decision-making.īelow is only a preliminary and partial list of concerns raised by community groups, environmental organizations and many others about Bill 23. ![]() On October 25th, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, an omnibus bill proposing sweeping changes to the province’s natural heritage and land use planning legislation and policy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |