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Why change Conservation Authorities?

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Conservation Authorities were created by the province in 1946 to improve poor land, water and forestry practices that had led to drought, flooding, erosion, and deforestation as well as to create jobs following the war. However, over the years their time and resources have been split across the new and additional programs and services they now provide.

Conservation authorities play a frontline role in protecting residents and property from the impacts of natural hazards, like flooding and erosion. Changes in our climate are bringing on more intense and unpredictable storm events which can threaten our homes, properties and communities.

Ontarians need to know that our conservation authorities are focusing their resources on core programs and services that manage the risk of natural hazards, protect sources of drinking water, and manage conservation-authority owned lands that contain many sensitive natural features. That’s our goal, and that was the commitment our government made two years ago in our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan.

After almost two years of consultations, our government has proposed a series of changes that would, if passed, improve the management, oversight and accountability of conservation authorities, while respecting taxpayer dollars by giving municipalities more say over the conservation authority programs and services they may pay for. The changes do not impact the provincial funding for conservation authorities.

As the managers of the local public purse, it’s important that municipalities have a clear understanding of which programs and services provided by conservation authorities are required and which are discretionary for the municipality to decide to fund. Our proposed changes require that conservation authority board members be elected municipal councillors who should generally act in the best interest of their municipalities to allow local governments to take a more active role in determining local priorities.

We’re also proposing to streamline conservation authority permitting to increase accountability, consistency and transparency. We want to ensure a consistent approach for landowners, the agricultural sector and the building industry – allowing the province to step in in those limited circumstances where there are matters of provincial interest. With our proposed changes, conservation authorities could still provide advice/support to municipalities and the Province for appeals of Planning Act decisions - increasing accountability, consistency and transparency by streamlining the land use planning process through the one-window approach.

We know that many conservation authorities provide valuable recreational and educational programs and services that are important to the local community. While not core to their conservation authority mandates, we’ve ensured that these programs that have importance to the community are able to continue when they are funded through conservation authority self-generated revenue and/or by agreements with municipalities or other sources.

It is important to note that the changes do not remove conservation authorities’ powers to protect communities. Conservation authorities will continue to have a core role in preparing and protecting against the impacts of natural hazards, maintaining and managing conservation lands, and roles in drinking water source protection.

Now more than ever, in the face of a changing climate and other environmental, social and economic challenges, it is essential that public resources are focused first on protecting people and property. Later this fall, the government will begin consultation on regulations to ensure that we are listening to Ontarians all across our province. Through these changes, I am confident that we can arrive at a new approach to ensuring the value of conservation authorities that truly responds to the needs of the communities they serve.

More information on our proposed changes can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/conservation-authorities.