The Rideau Valley…

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority's comments on the proposed provincial planning statement are provided in the attached PDF file, which includes a cover letter and detailed comments in Table 1. Our comments focus on the following policy issues:
• The policy statement vision emphasizes mitigation of natural hazards rather than
the long standing policy principle of avoidance.
• Removal of policy requiring municipalities to determine feasibility of development
by avoiding, minimizing and mitigating potential negative impacts on watershed
conditions, the water resource system including the quantity and quality of water;
• Elimination of policy for retention or establishment of vegetative landcover in
settlement areas;
• Stormwater quantity (controlling stormwater runoff volume) has been removed;
• Planning for water, wastewater and stormwater is currently to be informed by
watershed planning, whereas the proposed policy “encourages” municipalities to
undertake watershed planning;
• The absence of reference to conservation authorities as a municipal partner in
watershed planning;
• PPS policy 2.2.1 (c) which ensures planning authorities protect, improve or
restore water quality and quantity by evaluating and preparing for the impacts of
a changing climate to water resource systems at the watershed level, has been
removed;
• The absence of reference to collaboration between municipalities and CAs for
the identification of natural hazards and hazardous sites.