The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) is adding its voice to the growing list of concerned organizations, calling on the provincial government to re-consider and re-evaluate proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and Planning Act. The More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23) introduced on October 25th, proposes legislation that would diminish the role of Conservation Authorities in the review of development applications, in a bid to increase the provincial housing supply.
“We recognize the need for expedited development to address the housing shortage in Ontario,” said Ken Phillips, General Manager at the SCRCA, “but it should not come at the expense of the environment and the protections in place to reduce the risk to life and property from natural hazards.”
If passed, the legislation would prohibit municipalities from entering into agreements with their local Conservation Authority for comment and review of development and land use planning applications from an environmental and natural heritage perspective. This is a service Conservation Authorities have provided to local governments for decades. The government has also proposed updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, which may impact wetland protections throughout the province.
“Particularly in a time where the threat and impact of climate change increases every day, the role of natural infrastructure in communities has never been more important,” said Phillips. “To some, a wetland may appear as just a nice home for wildlife, but in actuality, it also serves as an efficient and cost-effective measure to protect neighbourhoods from flooding and erosion.”
Other proposed changes outlined in Bill 23 that have raised questions and concerns among Conservation Authorities include:
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- Exempting development from requiring a permit under the Conservation Authorities Act where Planning Act approvals are in place;
- Removal of “conservation of lands” and “pollution “as considerations in permit decisions;
- Freezing Conservation Authority development fees, and;
- Examining the suitability of land owned by Conservation Authorities for development.
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Conservation Ontario, an organization that represents Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities, has called on the government to re-establish a multi-stakeholder working group that helped guide changes to the Conservation Authorities Act in 2020.
“The working group included representatives from municipalities, conservation authorities, and the development and agricultural communities,” explained Phillips.
To learn more about the proposed legislative changes and to provide input, visit the Environmental Registry of Ontario at (https://ero.ontario.ca/) or follow the links below:
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- Consultations on More Homes Built Faster: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan 2022-2023 (ERO number – 019-6162) – https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6162
- Proposed updates to the regulation of development for the protection of people and property from natural hazards in Ontario (ERO number – 019-2927) – https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2927
- Conserving Ontario’s Natural Heritage (ERO number – 019-6161) – https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6161
- Proposed Updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (ERO number – 019-6160) – https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6160
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