in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 3, 20 20 | 26 310 Kerr St, OaKville (905) 842-0887 veredacentral.ca THANKYOU OAKVILLE! FOr vOtiNG US YOUr FavOUrite COFFee SHOP 2020! We are a specialty coffee roasting company from COlOMBia, where we seek the best single estate origin specialty coffee beans, roast them the best possible way to provide you with unique flavours. We SOUrCe it, We rOaSt it, We Serve it. YOU eNjOY it. Preschool & Daycare info@alphasdiscoveryclub.com • www.alphasdiscoveryclub.com ThankYou Oakville for Voting us Daycare PlatinumWinner! 609 Ford Drive, Unit 3-4, Oakville L6J 7Z6 905-337-7225 Halton's mayors and the board of Conservation Halton (CH) are calling on the province to scrap planned changes to the Conserva- tion Authorities Act, which many say will drain conservation author- ities of their ability to protect the environment. On Tuesday, Nov. 17 the four mayors joined members of the CH board of directors in sending a let- ter to Premier Doug Ford and Min- ister of the Environment, Conser- vation and Parks Jeff Yurek re- questing that they engage in expe- dient consultations with conservation authorities over the proposed changes contained in the 2020 Ontario budget. In the meantime, the group wants the proposed changes with- drawn. Hassaan Basit, president and CEO of Conservation Halton, dis- cussed some of the issues he has with the province's proposals in an online appeal to the community for assistance. "Conservation Halton has legis- lated responsibility to ensure de- velopment does not occur in flood hazard areas and that our creeks, valleys and wetlands are not adver- sely impacted. We work hard to en- sure new development is balanced and that our communities are safe and livable, with ample green space," said Basit. "The amendments proposed by the provincial government outline a process whereby developers and others can go around conservation authorities to have permits ap- proved by the province directly." Currently, conservation author- ities can deny developers building permits under certain circum- stances. Basit also voiced concerns about another proposed change that would require all municipally appointed members of conserva- tion authority boards to be elected officials. Basit said putting people on those boards who are required to represent the interests of their respective municipalities, as op- posed to the interests of the conser- vation authority, creates a setting ripe for conflict of interest. "Should the new amendments pass, our ability to make indepen- dent science-based decisions in the interest of the community will be significantly limited, our wetlands, valleys, and water will be at risk and our ability to remedy viola- tions that put our environment and communities in danger will be minimal," said Basit. In an email statement, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks spokesperson Lindsay Davidson said the proposed chang- es follow a year and a half of consul- tations with conservation authori- ties, municipalities, developers, landowners as well as agricultural, environmental and conservation organizations. He argued the changes will im- prove the governance, oversight and accountability of conservation authorities, while respecting tax- payer dollars by giving municipal- ities more say over the conserva- tion authority services they pay for. "The proposed changes would provide a new mechanism for the province to become involved in the issuance of permits, where there are matters of provincial interest," said Davidson. "The scope of this mechanism will be further determined through the development and consultation regulations." He noted conservation authori- ties will still be able to provide ad- vice and support to municipalities and the province for appeals of Planning Act decisions. Davidson also pointed out the changes will let the minister, with the approval of the Lieutenant Gov- ernor in Council, appoint a tempo- rary administrator to assume con- trol of all a conservation authori- ty's operations if it was determined that conservation authority has failed or was likely to fail to comply with provincial law. On Nov. 16 Oakville councillors voted unanimously to direct the province to repeal or alter their proposed changes to the Conserva- tion Authorities Act. During the meeting, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton referred to the proposed changes as an attempt to "gut" the conservation authorities and "an attack" on their integrity. He said the Town of Oakville has been well served by Conserva- tion Halton and Credit Valley Con- servation, noting the town relies on their watershed expertise to pro- tect residents, property and natu- ral resources by regulating devel- opment. The mayor said the new legisla- tion brought forward by the prov- ince would remove or significantly hinder the ability of conservation authorities to participate in and support local planning appeal pro- cesses. Burton also said the changes would let the minister of natural re- sources and forestry make deci- sions on development proposals without the consideration of local conditions, conservation authority board approved policies, water- shed data or technical expertise. He further noted legislation that elected officials on the conser- vation authority board make deci- sions in the best interest of the mu- nicipality contradicts the fiduciary duty of a conservation authority board member to represent the best interests of the conservation authority and its responsibility to the watershed. Oakville Ward 6 Coun. Tom Ad- ams chastised the province for burying these changes to the Con- servation Authorities Act within a budget bill. "It's just shocking the way that they are ramming this through," he said. Oakville Ward 2 Coun. Cathy Duddeck said the province only provides one to two per cent of the funding for conservation authori- ties. Conservation Ontario noted the lion's share of funding comes from municipal levies and from funds the organizations raise them- selves. Duddeck further questioned how the changes would help im- prove efficiency given that current- ly 95 per cent of the permits that come to Halton Conservation are approved and processed in a 30-day period. Davidson said conservation au- thorities will continue to have a core role in preparing and protect- ing against the impacts of natural hazards, maintaining and manag- ing conservation lands, and roles in drinking water source protection. "In the coming weeks, the min- istry will be developing and con- sulting on upcoming regulations under the Conservation Authori- ties Act," said Davidson. "We will consider the feedback as we move forward to ensure we put conservation authorities in the best position possible to be able to deliver on their core mandate." MAYORS WANT PROVINCE TO STOP PLANS TO 'GUT' CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES The Province is proposing changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, which Conservation Halton says will significantly limit the group's ability to make independent science-based decisions in the interest of the community. Namish Modi/Metroland DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS