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Pageo10*> Halton Hills This. Week,Sunday;De¢embér 26, 1993! By David Stover Special to HHTW. The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs has announced a reform of the provincial planning and development system that will Streamline the planning Process, ensure better envi- ronmental protection and give local municipalities a greater say in development decisions. Rash Mohammed, com- missioner of planning and development for Halton region, said the reforms — currently on the table for duced next spring — will give municipalities a bigger role in the planning process. “Tt will put more burden (on municipalities) but the decisions will remain here at least,” he said, Under the proposed. new system, “land use decisions will be made more at a local level,” Mohammed said. As well, the Ontario Municipal 4 Board (OMB) will no longer hear appeals of minor vari- Largest Ast Ashgrove Scout Troop is the largest in the North Halton District. The Troop grew from six Scouts and one Leader in 1992 to 20 Scouts and four Leaders in 1993, Ist Ashgrove is a very active Troop both at regular meetings and District events. D.C. Steve Thompson and A.D.C, John Sharples invested all new Scouts and new Leader, Bernie Coyle. photo by Jean Layman Halton Hills This Week Classifieds... Get Results 873-2254 The result, Mohammed suggested, will be that local municipalities will have to be more careful in balancing different community interests ‘as they make land use deci- ions. si i. “It will be a challenge for councils to balance off these diverse interests,” Mohammed said. “Municipalities will be forced to consider planning consequences (and) won’t be. able to blame the province.” _ Under the proposed new System, each level of govern- ment’s responsibilities will be more carefully defined. According to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, “the provincial government will Set policy, municipal govern- ‘ments will make develop- ment decisions and the Ontario Municipal Board will resolve disputes.” As part of the reforms, the Provincial government will streamline its process for dealing with municipalities, and will also integrate and harmonize its policies on dif- ferent land use issues, Mohammed said. _ For instance, the province will have to think out how land use policies affecting hous- ing can be integrated and harmonized with those affecting agricultural land or energy and water conserva- ion. “It’s a rather good attempt to integrate these-policy statements so you don’t have conflicts among them,” Mohammed said of the provincial reforms. “Things will be more in coordination with each other. All the municipalities’ plans must conform to the regional: plan and it must conform to. provincial policies.” Because the province will be coming up with defined, binding policies in six major areas — mineral resources, Here's hoping yours is filled with joy. My very best wishes to all! le Bosolo fo GLENDA HUGHES ae Sales Representative ARTHUR F. (sa) JOHNSON & : a ASSOCIATES res. 877-7578 Brenda Payton LTD., REALTS Bus. 877-5165 Sales Representative ARTHUI ‘OR LTD., REAL’ GREETINGS Way your tomes JOHN HILL Sales Representative JOHNSON & ASSOCIATES Halton gets bigger say in planning energy and water conserva- tion, agricultural land, hous- ing, community development and infrastructure, and the protection of an hazards to natural heritage and ecosys- ems — municipalities will find it easier to apply these Policies to local development decisions under the new sys- tem, Mohammed said. “When a provincial policy statement is approved (under the proposed new system) it becomes a requirement in law,” Mohammed said. “The municipality. must follow it. It is not optional.” ‘ut;Mohammed said the fact provincial policies will better defined is a plus for municipalities, “It makes the decision-making framework easier,” he said. “At least you know what the provincial interest is.” And, he noted, municipali- ties will then have more ‘dom to decide how to actual- ly-implement the broad poli- cy guidelines in relation to specific development issues. The provincial initiative is a reaction to the Commission Planning and Deveiopment Reform, creat- ed by the Ontario govern- ment two years ago and headed by John Sewell, for- mer Mayor of Toronto. That commission submitted its report last June. In making its announce- ment of the planning and development reforms, the province also released pro- Posed land use statements that will govern planning and development. Public com- ment on those statements is welcomed until March 14, 1994, ° ° Full texts of the: statements can be obtained by contact- ing the” Ministry of Municipal Affairs’ consulta- tion project office at (416) 26.