The Government of Ontario…

The Government of Ontario should not be merging the existing Conservation Authorities into larger bodies. The Greenbelt has a very specific biodiversity and watershed that is very different than the surrounding areas that it will be amalgamated with. One decision for a certain watershed and geography does not equate to what is in the best interest for the other geographies and watersheds. These Authorities were created to manage it's own watershed, ecosystem and make decisions based on their specific area. The work is very localized and sharing resources would not even make sense, nor has the Government outlined how this would work. The Government should also not be compromising the integrity and safety of the Conservation Authorities for the sole purpose of facilitating development. This Bill would be undermining local decision making and transparency.

If we have not learned from the continual condemnation of the Government's handling of the Greenbelt, than we should start (to be mentioned, there is still an ongoing RCMP investigation regarding the Greenbelt). It is never in the best interest of the people in the surrounding areas that these Authorities cover nor the best interest of the diverse ecosystems the Government will destroy in their pursuit of building and lining the pockets of wealthy developers.

We have specific Conservation Authorities for a reason - their expertise in their respected areas. The goal of the Bill is to provide faster permitting to support development and housing, but who is protecting the land in this process? Who are going to be the new experts in the local knowledge of the land and watersheds? The answer is no one. The Minister will have the ability to overrule the Conservation Authorities, experts in their fields, to push ahead on development.

The Conservation Authorities have already lost some of their power in Bill 229. They do not need to lose any more. We have them in place for a reason. Reason - this Bill has none. We will lose the ability to protect wetlands and water quality and ultimately, the ecosystems each of these areas cover.