Reducing the number of…

Reducing the number of conservation authorities from 36 to 7 across the province of Ontario will not result in better service delivery. As we are all well aware, Ontario is a very large province. These new regions will lower service delivery response times, as it is highly likely that offices will be removed, and employee travel times will be increased. Additionally, local knowledge will be decreased, as the larger boundaries will be more difficult for the new authorities to fully understand. The reduction in authorities will likely reduce the number of employees, which will also reduce knowledge and increase delivery times.
The current government in Ontario, with its inane focus on increasing rural development, has continually undermined Conservation Authorities over their time in office resulting in more natural disasters and reduction in focus on natural habitats. The current government fails to recognize the benefits of natural areas on the populace, which is something all individuals benefit from. Providing Conservation Areas as parks for the provinces residents is an amazing and these parks are appreciated by ??. Encouraging residents to plant native plants and trees, maintain wetlands, and keep livestock out of waterbodies, are some of the activities undertaken by conservation authorities that do not improve permit approval times, but are extremely beneficial to landowners.
I do not believe consolidating conservation authorities will be advantageous to Ontario's residents and encourage the government to repeal changes to the Conservation Authorities Act passed enacted on 3-Dec.