Merging conservation…

Merging conservation authorities will not be effective unless operational reforms are implemented. These bodies currently lack accountability, and have poor governance and conflicts of interest arising when their boards are involved in appeals.

A group of concerned citizens from Huron-Kinloss, Saugeen Shores, and Arran-Elderslie were surprised by recent alterations to floodplain mapping. Collectively, we gathered 800 signatures on a petition calling for much-needed reforms.

Far too often, Public consultation sessions were conducted after the implementation of the new policies. There was no prior communication regarding the Ontario government's mandated setbacks from hazard lines, resulting in stakeholders only recently becoming aware that their properties now fall under conservation authority jurisdiction.

Key concerns with these policies include insufficient stakeholder impact analysis, a superficial public input process, denial of insurance eligibility and mortgage renewals, lengthy approvals, costly redundant studies for homeowners ($10K–$50K), inconsistent decisions, no compensation for de facto land seizure, unrecognized prior remediation, no risk mitigation plans, and models not validated against real flood events.

We are frustrated by frequent changes that raise conservation authority budgets and strain our finances.