Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to express my comments regarding Bill 162, Get It Done Act, 2024. I wish to express my opposition to several sections of this bill, specifically Schedules 1, 3, 5 and 6.
First, I wish to strongly support the recommendations and requests made in the submission by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA).
Second, I strongly oppose the proposed modifications to municipal boundaries. Modifications to municipal boundaries need to be supported by strong evidence such as MCR (municipal comprehensive reviews) and should be subject to a transparent process. These modifications should be made for the public benefit, not to benefit individual, for-profit or other private interests. The boundary modifications propose do not meet this standard and as such should be withdrawn/removed.
Third I am very concerned about any efforts to undermine public consultation and to reduce the transparency surrounding infrastructure projects, including expropriation of land. It is also completely unacceptable to limit or reduce constitutionally required Indigenous consultation.
Fourth, with regards to large infrastructure projects that have enormous cost in terms of taxpayer funding, loss of sensitive land, habitat for endangered species/species at risk, prime farmland, it is critical that the decisions made must be justifiable, be based on compelling reliable scientific data and made in a way that is transparent. Decision makers must be held accountable. It is therefore not acceptable to expropriate land for projects and spend public money on these projects without completing thorough environmental assessments and proper consultations.
Further to this, it is unacceptable for relevant reports and data to be hidden or otherwise prevented from being considered in decision-making processes, including establishing or modifying legislation. In the case of the Region of Waterloo, I would like to specifically draw your attention to the Staff Report which expresses concerns about Bill 162 (EES-WAS-24-001 March 20, 2024: Proposed Bill 162 (Get it Done Act) and Drinking Water Supply Implications for Waterloo Region), which some members of Region of Waterloo Council attempted to prevent from being submitted for consideration. In areas that rely heavily on groundwater such as the Region of Waterloo, Guelph, County of Brant and others decisions about where development takes place it is essential that the impacts on groundwater/drinking water supply and source water protection be considered. Within watersheds, impacts on groundwater can be felt everywhere downstream. It needs to be factored into decisions that these same areas that rely on ground water do not have pipelines to the Great Lakes.