Credit Valley Conservation, which serves Mississauga, Brampton, and other nearby areas, is criticizing an Ontario government initiative to merge the province’s 36 conservation authorities into just nine by 2027.
The local conservation authority warns that this restructuring would “disrupt one of the province’s most efficient and high-performing conservation authorities” and slow down development by creating “unnecessary disruption in one of Ontario’s fastest-growing regions, resulting in less shovels in the ground and less houses being built.”
Founded by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore, and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed, Credit Valley Conservation also handles permits for different types of housing and infrastructure developments within floodplains, shorelines, and wetlands.
The CVC board of directors stated in a news release on Thursday that they believe the provincial government’s plan to replace CVC with a larger regional conservation authority is not a good approach.
CVC Claims Development Will Suffer
While they support the province’s objectives of modernizing services, cutting down on duplication, and speeding up housing approvals, CVC’s board expressed concern that dismantling CVC into a regional conservation authority will harm development.
“Credit Valley Conservation is already delivering exactly what the province says it wants – efficient approvals, strong municipal coordination and the protection of public safety,” said CVC board chair and Brampton city councillor Michael Palleschi. “We support modernization, but dismantling a high-performing authority that is already meeting provincial objectives does not advance that goal.”
CVC officials claim that their local conservation authority currently processes development permit applications in about 14 days on average, “far exceeding the province’s 90-day service standard.”
Municipal planners, builders, and applicants “benefit from predictable timelines and a team of experts deeply familiar with local watershed conditions and municipal planning processes,” according to the CVC board’s news release. “This change will slow down service standards in Peel and Halton regions.”
Palleschi added that “in the context of Ontario’s housing crisis, the last thing we should do is disrupt a system that is already helping get homes built. Transitioning to a new regional bureaucracy would almost certainly slow approvals while staff, systems and governance structures are reorganized.”
“Growth and safety go hand in hand”
The board also stressed that beyond housing approvals, CVC’s work “protects public safety in a complex urban watershed where flood risk management requires highly specialized local expertise, including floodplain mapping, modelling, ice-jam management and real-time flood forecasting.”
Brampton city councillor Alvin Tedjo serves as vice-chair of the CVC board; he pointed out how growth must be balanced with safety.
“Local watershed knowledge allows development to move forward quickly while ensuring communities remain protected from flooding and other natural hazards,” he said.
This past week when announcing plans for reorganization by the provincial government, Environment Minister Todd Mc Carthy assured there wouldn’t be any job losses involved.
Addtionally he mentioned how feedback had been considered regarding its plan – including around 14,000 comments from citizens. The original proposal suggested having seven conservation authorities.
The new bodies would function under a newly established Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency set to be operational within two years.
– with files from The Canadian Press
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“Credit Valley Conservation is already delivering exactly what the province says it wants – efficient approvals, strong municipal coordination and the protection of public safety,” said CVC board chair and Brampton city councillor Michael Palleschi. “We support modernization, but dismantling a high-performing authority that is already meeting provincial objectives does not advance that goal.”
CVC officials claim that their local conservation authority currently processes development permit applications in about 14 days on average, “far exceeding the province’s 90-day service standard.”
Municipal planners, builders, and applicants “benefit from predictable timelines and a team of experts deeply familiar with local watershed conditions and municipal planning processes,” according to the CVC board’s news release. “This change will slow down service standards in Peel and Halton regions.”
Palleschi added that “in the context of Ontario’s housing crisis, the last thing we should do is disrupt a system that is already helping get homes built. Transitioning to a new regional bureaucracy would almost certainly slow approvals while staff, systems and governance structures are reorganized.”
“Growth and safety go hand in hand”
The board also stressed that beyond housing approvals, CVC’s work “protects public safety in a complex urban watershed where flood risk management requires highly specialized local expertise, including floodplain mapping, modelling, ice-jam management and real-time flood forecasting.”
Brampton city councillor Alvin Tedjo serves as vice-chair of the CVC board; he pointed out how growth must be balanced with safety.
“Local watershed knowledge allows development to move forward quickly while ensuring communities remain protected from flooding and other natural hazards,” he said.
This past week when announcing plans for reorganization by the provincial government, Environment Minister Todd Mc Carthy assured there wouldn’t be any job losses involved.
Addtionally he mentioned how feedback had been considered regarding its plan – including around 14,000 comments from citizens. The original proposal suggested having seven conservation authorities.
The new bodies would function under a newly established Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency set to be operational within two years.
– with files from The Canadian Press
INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies
Last 30 Days: 33,789 Votes
All Time: 1,262,448 Votes
280 VOTES
