The full set of comments…

The full set of comments from the Lake Erie Region Source Protection Committee are attached. The following are the key recommendations:
1. provide a policy analysis that clearly identifies the policy gaps or benefits between the current land use planning framework (with Growth Plan policies implemented in municipal Official Plans) and the Greenbelt Plan to ensure all stakeholders and the public are fully informed on the benefits or challenges with each policy framework.
2. consider policy amendments to the Greenbelt Plan to allow any official plan policies which offer more protection to Natural Heritage and Water Resource Systems to supersede any less restrictive policies of the Greenbelt Plan;
3. provide their data and information to municipalities to identify all components of Water Resource Systems including key hydrologic features and areas such as the Paris Galt moraine;
4. consider deferral of the Greenbelt expansion allowing municipalities the opportunity to incorporate the most recent protective policies for the moraine from the Growth Plan into their Official Plans;
5. work with affected municipalities, GRCA and other stakeholders within the Grand River watershed to prepare an acceptable map for municipal Official Plans of the Paris Galt moraine (as a key hydrologic area as defined by the Growth Plan and Greenbelt Plan);
6. in their review and approval of Official Plans, include an analysis of any gaps in the protection of Natural Heritage and Water Resource Systems that could be addressed by the province through future amendments to the Growth Plan or an expansion to the Greenbelt Plan;
7. implement future amendments to the Greenbelt policies to remove or clarify that conservation authority lands are not public lands;
8. review the Urban River Valley designation for some portions of the Speed River and Eramosa River taking into account difference in this study area and the GTA and the objectives of this designation may already be in place through the Provincial Policy Statement, Growth Plan policies and municipal Official Plan policies. Some of these lands are environmentally sensitive and contain hazards and some infrastructure or access by the public would not be appropriate; and
9. further consultation with the public, municipalities, conservation authorities and other stakeholders on any proposals to modify the boundaries of the existing Greenbelt and the Greenbelt Plan be provided.