Key concerns include: Lack…

Key concerns include:

Lack of demonstrated need for restructuring: Conservation authorities have not been provided with any assessments or analyses demonstrating that Ontario’s current watershed-based conservation authority model requires structural change to improve efficiency or service delivery.

Strong NPCA performance under the current framework: NPCA currently meets provincial permitting timelines 96 per cent of the time and continues to coordinate effectively with municipal partners and developers. The organization has significantly advanced modernization efforts, including the implementation of CityView permitting software, the forthcoming launch of an online permit portal, updated floodplain mapping, and expanded regulation mapping and open data tools. Evidence-based guidance and clear modernization goals would be more beneficial than restructuring the system.

Scale and complexity of the proposed Western Lake Ontario RCA: The proposed RCA would span approximately 490,000 hectares across nearly two million residents and 28 municipalities. Reducing local representation from a combined 53 current board members to a smaller consolidated board risks losing diverse voices and weakening connections with local communities, partners, and long-standing watershed relationships built over 66 years.

Complexity of merging four independent conservation authorities: Each conservation authority within the proposed RCA is its own corporate entity with its own budgets, assets, landholdings, infrastructure, reserves, and charitable foundation. Consolidating these structures would require extensive legal and financial review, result in substantial transition costs, and divert funding and staff resources away from critical watershed programs.

Risk of increased costs: The proposed Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) model includes the ability of the Agency to charge back fees to RCAs and collect operating costs. Without a cost-benefit analysis confirming no net cost increase to municipalities or conservation authorities, NPCA remains concerned about budget impacts and limits on the ability to generate additional revenues.

Potential impacts on staff capacity and service delivery: Larger regional boards, increased administrative oversight, and complex budgeting processes may reduce the capacity of expert staff to deliver the same level of watershed programming communities rely on. NPCA recommends exploring legislative and regulatory tools that could achieve modernization goals without restructuring.

Importance of local accountability: Municipal levies currently support approximately 52 per cent of NPCA’s operating budget, compared to roughly 0.5 per cent in annual provincial transfer payments. Any future restructuring must ensure that municipal dollars, self-generated revenues, and NPCA assets remain dedicated to local communities.