I am a citizen living in the…

I am a citizen living in the Lower Trent Conservation Authority area, in the Cold Creek watershed - feeding into the Trent River at Frankford. I am opposed to any legislation that will reduce local conservation authority activity.

Since the announcement of ERO posting 025-1257, I have read many press releases and op-eds about the proposed amalgamation of CAs into larger regional bodies. NONE of them have been positive. I am attaching links to a couple of examples - there are many, many more available.

Claims of inefficiency are false. We need focused, local expertise in watersheds much smaller than the proposed seven "regions". It is a false economy to "zoom out" for the sake of reduced administration. This will result in poorer coverage and mean slower, weaker responses to flooding events, erosion and habitat loss.

I do not care about the speed at which development proposals are process, only that they are properly considered and mean the best for the long term - for all residents and living things in a given watershed. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Rushing is NOT a priority, and CA "red tape" is NOT the reason we have a housing crisis.

I write this as a practising professional engineer working in the construction industry and as an individual dismayed with the administration of development in southern Ontario. We need direct government investment in low-income housing, whether that's through funding of co-ops and local level non-profits or via actual government owned housing. These are our greatest need and they are not served by a private, for-profit construction sector. The reason is obvious - profit is not maximized in this type of housing. The government needs to realize that they are not in business and that a healthy population isn't best served by propping up for-profit developers.

If there is any change to the Conservation Authority administration, please make it an increase in funding and do not reduce local capacity in any way. Moving forward, consultation with First Nations and attention to treaty matters should be a priority as well.