I think Conservation…

I think Conservation authorities should remain the authority. (period.)

If the province will be using the same criteria, they should come to the same conclusions as the CA. If duplicating work isn't red-tape, I don't know what is. Stop it and just let the CAs do their job. What you are proposing is essentially an appeals process when there shouldn't be one, and you are (even further) undermining what little authority you have left with the CAs. Cumulatively, the changes to wetlands, setbacks, etc. rules have gone too far.

Why would you want to build anything at all in a flood plain or other hazardous area? Especially housing? Or are you saying it's ok for people with less money or who work in warehouses to be subject to more risk and second-class lands? Anyway, people in affordable housing can't afford the insurance required, or are you just going to rely on local or provincial taxpayers to foot the bill when there is an flood or other emergency, when things need to be rebuilt.

If you must proceed, you must at least put in place the need to get a copy, with rationale, of the decision the local CA would make and you should have a mechanism in place that would put considerable weight in the CA's analysis - every time.

Finally, you are talking about environmentally-significant decisions here. Any such permit from the minister would need to go up for public consultation as an instrument on the ERO. Think about this. Are you really saving anyone time? Who are you helping if you make the opposite decision a CA would make? Any such decision, which one would assume is contrary to evidence and science-based decision making, would need to explain to the public the rationale behind the contrary decision and how it benefits the public in the long term. Assuming the CA decision is made public, members of the public will be able to juxtapose your decision with theirs and come to their own conclusions. You are opening yourselves to controversy for no good reason. You have documented evidence there is ALREADY enough lands designated for growth without opening up more.

Also, right now, this proposal provides too much power to the minister.

Thanks for reading.