To Who It May Concern, I am…

To Who It May Concern,

I am a constituent of Northumberland Peterborough South riding, where agriculture is our main industry and biggest employer. We have necessary and preserved wetlands, forests, and other natural heritage, and urban, suburban and rural residences, local small businesses and some industry. A reasoned and balance approach to any development has to respect all the needs of a community, and not cater to the interests of developers. This is particularly significant when the effects of development proposals will irreversibly destroy our natural environment. Consider the Pickering and Vaughan MZO examples.
I oppose the way MZOs have been used by this government. Procedurally, MZOs prevent, preclude and override our treasured democratic processes of transparency, due process, public consultation, public overview, appeal process, expert advise, and land use planning processes that have developed over time with expertise, good reason and specific to the needs of individual communities. This erosion of our democracy is unacceptable.
Further, we have local experts on water, agriculture, land use planning, Official Plans and other local mechanisms whose input is necessary in the best interests of our communities as a whole, and their expertise should not be ignored in the process of considering any development and its placement. Our provincial government should not be shutting out environmental impacts by our experts and eliminating the chance for environmental protection of our watersheds, flood plains, wetlands, and farm lands. A healthy sustainable development has never been more important as we all deal with the challenges and devastation of climate change, and the need for our natural environment to help us cope with Covid.
It is not an argument to suggest MZOs eliminate 'red tape'. Proper land use planning that considers short and long term effects of proposed development, by experts is necessary. MZOs have no criteria other than what the government wants for developers. This is unacceptable.
I request MZO are very restricted in their use and and include public notice provisions, obligation for environmental oversight, an an appeal process.

kind regards,
resident of Port Hope, ON