In general I do not support…

In general I do not support the amalgamation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities or the creation of an agency to oversee the amalgamation as the plan currently stands.
A key factor in successful transition to regional CAs would be financial support. This would need to come from the province as many of our smaller municipalities and the Conservation Authorities they support through levies are already struggling to make their budgets cover their core services mandated under the Conservation Authorities Act. Adding another level of oversight is going to increase costs that should not be passed on to the individual through their municipal tax bill. Services provided by the CA should not be reduced or compromised as funds are reallocated to facilitate the amalgamation.
A regional conservation authority framework supported by fairly distributed provincial funding would ensure that all CAs have the funding to provide services at the same level (ie. train employees, compensate employees, have sufficient employees to expedite permitting, access to latest and best technology and information, etc.). A regional CA framework may also simplify practices from one CA to another but this would need to be done while still taking into account the unique characteristics of each watershed. The current benefit of smaller CAs servicing only one major river watershed is that the topography, geology, and other features of the local landscape are similar and therefore can be governed by the same rules. When a regional conservation authority stretches over a vast area, the land may not be the same from one end to another. A flat, agriculturally dominated area may need a different standard than a hilly urban area for flooding because water won’t act the same in both of these areas.
Governance at the regional conservation authority level should be maintained with each municipality having one board member. If each municipality is expected to pay towards the regional conservation authority, then they should be part of decisions.
Budgeting should be the responsibility of the province so that it is done fairly across all 7 proposed regional CAs.
Regional CAs will have to work hard to retain and regain the trust of their local communities. The amalgamation process will need to be cost-effective and result in better service or it may alienate residents and undo the many years of good work CAs have been doing.