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<\/p>\nCredit Valley Conservation, which serves Mississauga, Brampton and other communities in the region, is condemning an Ontario government plan to consolidate the province\u2019s 36 conservation authorities into nine bodies by 2027.<\/p>\n
The local conservation authority warns such a restructuring would \u201cdisrupt one of the province\u2019s most efficient and high-performing conservation authorities\u201d and slow down development by creating \u201cunnecessary disruption in one of Ontario\u2019s fastest-growing regions, resulting in less shovels in the ground and less houses being built.\u201d<\/p>\n
Established by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed, Credit Valley Conservation, like other such authorities, is also responsible for issuing permits for various types of housing and infrastructure development in floodplains, shorelines and wetlands.<\/p>\n
The CVC board of directors said in a news release on Thursday the provincial government\u2019s proposal to replace CVC with a larger regional conservation authority is not the way to proceed.<\/p>\n
Development would be negatively impacted: CVC<\/p>\n
While it supports the province\u2019s goals of modernizing services, reducing duplication and accelerating housing approvals, CVC\u2019s board said dismantling and consolidating CVC into a regional conservation authority will negatively impact development.<\/p>\n
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\u201cCredit Valley Conservation is already delivering exactly what the province says it wants \u2014 efficient approvals, strong municipal coordination and the protection of public safety,\u201d said CVC board chair and Brampton city councillor Michael Palleschi. \u201cWe support modernization, but dismantling a high-performing authority that is already meeting provincial objectives does not advance that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
CVC officials say the local conservation authority currently processes development permit applications in an average of 14 days or so, \u201cfar exceeding the province\u2019s 90-day service standard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Municipal planners, builders and applicants \u201cbenefit from predictable timelines and a team of experts deeply familiar with local watershed conditions and municipal planning processes,\u201d the CVC board said in its news release. \u201cThis change will slow down service standards in Peel and Halton regions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Palleschi added that \u201cin the context of Ontario\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowth and safety go hand in hand\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond housing approvals, the board emphasized that CVC\u2019s work \u201cprotects 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mississauga city councillor Alvin Tedjo, who serves as vice-chair of the CVC board, noted growth and safety go hand in hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocal watershed knowledge allows development to move forward quickly while ensuring communities remain protected from flooding and other natural hazards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n