As someone in the…

As someone in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry who works with conservation authorities to obtain project approvals, I do not support this proposed legislation.

It has not been adequately demonstrated that consolidation of the conservation authority system would meaningfully reduce the burden on provincial tax-payers, and duplicative administrative costs can be worthwhile when it allows conservation authorities to be local agencies that are approachable and responsive. It is unreasonable to assume that a larger consolidated conservation authority will be better at responding to the vastly different needs of the numerous municipalities under its jurisdiction.

It is also extremely concerning that this government feels the current conservation authority system is obstructive and misaligned with provincial priorities on housing, the economy, infrastructure, and climate resilience. It is the role of these authorities to make decisions based on local watershed considerations which are directly linked these priorities. Permitting housing to be built on a flood-plain is a liability, not a contributor, to the matters of housing and climate resilience.

If the objective is to deliver faster services to municipalities and permit applications, I would recommend that additional funding and resources be allocated to conservation authorities under the current system that is already working, rather pursuing a new system through consolidation, where restructuring will create untold amount of slowdowns, process ambiguity, and communication problems that will obstruct delivery of core services.