I believe this proposed…

I believe this proposed amendment is not appropriate for the people of Ontario and does not fully adhere to the purpose of the Greenbelt Plan or its supporting documentation.

Within the Greenbelt Plan, under section 5.6, there are clear definitions of where an amendment can be made outside of the 10-year review. This proposal does not address any threats to the overall effectiveness and integrity of the plan, does not improve the plan, and is not extending the Greenbelt's coverage. While it could be argued that this is necessary as a "major new provincial policy that creates a need", I do not believe this to be the case. The plan itself acknowledges that housing needs to be addressed beyond the big cities and in rural areas - areas which can be developed outside of the protected lands of the Greenbelt. Further, this plan specifies a need to protect the environment under the "Heritage and the environment", "Natural Hazards", and "Protecting heritage while meeting housing needs" which agree with the purpose that the Greenbelt plan and the proposed "removal" areas serve.

Building upon that, the regions that have been selected to be removed by this proposed amendment are "Protected Countryside" and "Natural Heritage Systems"; both of which are vitally important to the surrounding areas. Per the Greenbelt Plan, 1.1 "Context" and 1.4.2 Section 3, these regions are agricultural and natural systems which provide food and other environmental support.
- The Agricultural System is a group of inter-connected elements. It has two components: the agricultural land base, which is comprised of prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, and rural lands that together create a continuous, productive land base for agriculture, and the agri-food network, which includes infrastructure, services and assets important to the viability of the agri-food sector.
- The Natural System identifies lands that support both natural heritage and hydrologic features and functions, including providing for pollinator habitat, which is an essential support for agricultural production and for ecosystems.
- Both systems maintain connections to the broader agricultural and natural systems of southern Ontario.

Using these definitions, the proposed "addition" to the Greenbelt plan does not compensate for the damages that would occur by removing the Protected Countryside and Natural Heritage Systems that would be removed if this amendment is approved.