As a citizen who has an…

As a citizen who has an educational background in the environment and works for a conservation authority, I am highly concerned regarding the negative impacts this proposed merger would cause, and I do not support the regional consolidation. I agree with Hamilton Conservation Authority's and Grand River Conservation Authority's submissions to this ERO posting, as linked in my comment.

The proposed boundaries of the consolidation will cause the loss of watershed and local knowledge that conservation authorities in Ontario already provide. With so many municipalities being included in the proposed boundaries, there will be a loss of local input and confusion over responsibilities. As I work for a conservation authority, I see firsthand how we already make connections within the community, help local landowners, and have relationships with developers for permitting.

There has been no plan proposed by the Province to demonstrate who will pay for this major undertaking. I'd prefer that my money goes towards maintaining and improving conservation efforts in Ontario and not destroying it as this proposal will do! Additionally, the government of Ontario only provides 1% of funding for the operations of the authority that I work for. It makes no sense for the Province to think it can make this decision without providing more funding for operational support.

Although the Province states that there will be no job loss, I am very concerned about how this merger will impact the workplace and that I could potentially lose my job. There has been no plan or evidence provided that demonstrates how my job won't be lost. What about my current health benefits, life insurance, and pension?

I hold a master's degree, and I have worked diligently over the years to secure the position I currently hold. The fact that this job could be taken away for no reason or that I would be given a new position in a lower pay grade is very frustrating. It is clear to me that the Province is not supporting job growth! Just more worried about helping their friends who are developers.

The proposed regional consolidation of conservation authorities is not required to achieve the stated objectives, and it doesn't recognize that the current system serves the protection of watersheds well.