Public Consultation: Co-ordinated Review of Four Provincial Plans
Posted: March 12, 2015
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
“A Discussion Document for the 2015 Co-ordinated Review”
In Ontario, it is up to both the province and municipalities to plan for the long-term. At a higher level, the province sets the directions for land use planning through the Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). Additional plans are created to provide more detailed and geographically specific policies. Together, these plans manage the land use planning challenges and opportunities of a growing Ontario.
This year, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Niagara Escarpment Commission are working closely with a number of other ministries to conduct a co-ordinated review of four provincial plans: the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and the Niagara Escarpment Plan.
Public consultation is an important part of this process, and will occur in two phases. The first round of public consultation is happening now, and ends May 27, 2015. The goal of this round is to seek input to inform the development of amendments to the plans. There are a number of ways to voice your perspective on what needs to be improved and what should stay the same. To get involved, you can:
- Share your feedback online
- Come to a Regional Town Hall Meeting: Follow the link to check the schedule and find a meeting near you.
- Send an email to landuseplanningreview@ontario.ca
- Respond to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry posting: Search for registry number 012-3256.
- Submit your comments by mail to:
Land Use Planning Review
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ontario Growth Secretariat
777 Bay Street, Suite 425 (4th Floor)
Toronto, ON M5G 2E5
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has created a document that will help inform and guide this discussion. Our Region, Our Community, Our Home includes background information on the four provincial plans and planning framework, and also outlines goals to which these plans aim to contribute. The six goals are:
- Protecting agricultural land, water and natural areas
- Keeping people and goods moving, and building cost-effective infrastructure
- Fostering healthy, livable and inclusive communities
- Building communities that attract workers and create jobs
- Addressing climate change and building resilient communities
- Improving implementation and better aligning the plans
For more details on these goals, and related discussion questions, see the full discussion document.
Stay tuned for more information from Sustain Ontario on how to engage with this co-ordinated review process, and be sure to include your input by May 27, 2015.
Additional Resources
See the letter sent to new ministers on the Provincial Policy Statement in April 2013, sent from a coalition of organizations led by Ontario Nature, including Sustain Ontario. The letter addresses the protection of prime farmland and significant natural heritage features from aggregate extraction.
See our overview of the 2012 PPS Review process, addressing changes to the policy that affect food and farming such as renaming and redefining terms to more clearly designate on-farm diversified uses (i.e. on-farm processing, agri-tourism); and the inclusion of new language around building strong and “healthy” communities. See links to members and allies’ PPS review submissions at the bottom of the post.