ERCA taking issue with Ontario governments More Homes Built Faster Act
The Essex Region Conservation Authority is taking issue with the Ontario government's More Homes Built Faster Act.
ERCA is taking issue over portions of the proposed legislation which would see conservation authorities prohibited from commenting on conservation and environmental matters, except for flooding and erosion.
The legislation aims to help the province reach the goal of building 1.5 million new homes in a decade across Ontario.
The province says the plan, which contains around 50 actions, addresses the housing crisis by reducing government fees and fixing developmental approval delays that slow down housing construction and increase costs.
The authority argues that ERCA and other conservation authorities will not be able to offer expertise on ecology, natural heritage, wetlands and biodiversity for development proposals.
Tim Byrne, Chief Administrative Officer for the Essex Region Conservation Authority, says the natural environment is a critical component of sustaining us and sustaining our lives in all areas of the region.
"To go through a process and eliminate conservation authorities from commenting on natural heritage, it's a fool's adventure," he says.
Byrne says conservation authorities must to have terrestrial ecologists, biologists, botanists, hydrologists, water resource engineers and provide that personnel and advisory services to municipal member partners.
"If we are ordered to or instructed to not provide comment, well the municipalities are inheriting a risk or liability by proceeding without ensuring they have that appropriate comment provided," he says.
Byrne says if you eliminate elements of the existing process, you are providing opportunities for the checks and balances to be removed.
"You may speed up something but you will likely have exposed something to proceed in an unsustainable fashion," he says. "You will be paying for it later and/or you will be exposing the municipality to risk and liability that you all as taxpayers end up paying for."
The housing legislation would go into effect by the summer of 2023 if it passes, the government says.
ERCA says in the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region, there is only 8.5 per cent natural cover. The bulk of these remnant natural heritage features are situated within floodplain valley land corridors that are currently regulated.
ERCA argues that eliminating Conservation Authorities' ability to consider the significance of natural features could further eradicate the minimal natural heritage of the region.