Bill 23 is proposing…

Bill 23 is proposing sweeping changes to several legislation pieces, including but not limited to:

Greenbelt Plan
Ontario Heritages Act
Conservation Authority Act
Planning Act
Places to Grow plan
Some elements of this act proposes:

- limiting powers of conservation authorities to appeal decisions

- removing planning powers from certain upper-tier municipalities (eg Regional govts, such as York Region, Waterloo Region)

- opening up areas in the Greenbelt and conservation areas for development

- adding replacement areas due to opening up areas in the Greenbelt

- use of Minister Zoning Orders to override municipal land use official plans

- adding a maximum of 5% affordable housing

Bill 23 does not do enough to address the protection of our natural environment and support minimum of required affordable housing, instead we`re capping it at 5%. It calls on deregulation and erosion for environmental and heritage protections for the purposes of building on more greenfields, when we should be intensifying our existing built areas, redeveloping brownfields, heavily promoting mixed-use, medium to high(er) densities, and improving rental housing stock to reduce the need for a car-oriented lifestyle which contributes much to climate change.