Please withdraw Bill 23 …

Please withdraw Bill 23 “More Homes Built Faster Act”. While new councils are just beginning to take on the governance of the municipality following the election, Bill 23 “More Homes Built Faster Act” raises serious concerns. Introduced post municipal election with a very short response timeline of Nov 17th, this Bill does not give new councils adequate time to respond.
As a resident of Muskoka I oppose Bill 23 for the following reasons.
The lack of affordable and attainable housing across the District of Muskoka has been exacerbated by expensive rural sprawl developments and has produced housing out of reach of most Muskokans. This new bill will directly impose more sprawl by amending s. 23 of the Planning Act to use Ministerial Zoning Orders to overturn municipal decisions. This will be detrimental to creating the in town walkable communities needed urgently if we are to reduce our transportation and building GHG emissions.
As written, it will seriously compromise regional planning preventing the protection of needed wetlands, forests and fragile ecosystems. The provisions of this bill particularly attack municipalities’ ability to require green building standards which our local municipalities were only just on the verge of developing. This will also undermine the affordability benefits that energy-efficient, climate resilient buildings can provide while simultaneously making emissions reductions commitments adapted by both District and municipalities across Muskoka unattainable.
We know that many other communities in Ontario have already implemented development standards to build efficient, low-carbon buildings in spite of objections from the development industry. Because buildings are among the highest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, implementing these upfront building standards (low carbon materials, air-source heat pumps) is far cheaper than the cost of retrofits down the line and saves home-owners considerable energy costs. Bill 23 will severely restrict municipalities’ abilities to require this upfront energy efficiency in the design of new housing.
This Bill guts the Conservation Authorities to appeal land use decisions to make sure that sprawl does not destroy habitat and waterbodies. While we do not have a Conservation Authority in Muskoka, we are working hard to implement an Integrated Watershed Management Plan to make land use planning decisions to protect both the economy and environmental ecology of Muskoka and respond to the urgency of the climate crisis. This bill will jeopardize not only our regions’ opportunities to make climate responsible decisions but those across Ontario.
Furthermore Bill 23 removes requirements regarding public meetings on certain planning matters and removes the right for citizens to appeal planning decisions. These provisions infringe on our democratic rights and principals and must not be supported.
Finally, Bill 23 requires municipalities to spend or allocate 60 % of reserve funds annually making it difficult if not impossible to use development charges to gather funds for large infrastructure projects for infrastructure growth down the line.
To its merit, there is provision in Bill 23 for removing exclusionary single-detached zoning to provide compact low-cost multiple unit housing in existing neighbourhoods but it is so watered down it leaves little room to capitalize on this much needed opportunity. It is only by using both the limited material resources and spaces within communities efficiently that we will be able to provide affordable, climate-resilient neighbourhood housing with both active and public transit.
The provisions of Bill 23 will result in the destruction of important wetlands, forests and waterways, and undermine opportunities to build efficient emissions reducing housing, restrict municipalities ability to ensure livable neighbourhoods with climate resiliency and green spaces while supporting a development at all costs mandate. This is an unsustainable path. Our climate future depends on leadership to do what we must.
Please take action and withdraw Bill 23.