公共通知和参与

As part of the delivery of programs and services related to natural hazards, Conservation Halton develops natural hazard and wetland mapping, policies, and technical guidelines. Through the process of developing these products, we engage with the people who live, work and/or have an interest in our watersheds, including residents, landowners, Indigenous communities, developers and municipal and provincial partners. We provide opportunities for people to offer feedback on our programs and services through public engagement on specific studies or initiatives as well as draft mapping, study findings and policies. Public involvement provides greater certainty and transparency on Conservation Halton programs and services, and we benefit from receiving observations about the watershed from the people who experience these watershed conditions.

Aerial drone image of residential communities and natural areas in part of the Conservation Halton watershed.

Public Notice:

Conservation Halton has developed draft guidance to support the preparation of wetland water balance assessments. These assessments are a required component of permit applications for complex large-scale development near wetlands. To assist applicants and qualified professionals tasked with preparing these assessments, we have outlined six standardized steps as part of our draft Guidelines for Wetland Water Balance Assessments. Following these steps should result in quicker and more consistent reviews, fewer resubmissions, and faster approvals.

We invite you to share input on this draft guidance. Questions to consider as you review the document and prepare your comments:

    • Does this document help you understand the requirements of a wetland water balance assessment?

    • Does the document adequately explain CH’s role and expectations? Does it help you understand how we review and evaluate wetland water balance assessments as part of permit applications?

    • Are the guidelines clear and comprehensive? Should additional information be included?

    • Do you find the images, figures, and appendices helpful? Would other figures/diagrams be useful?

    • Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

Please send your feedback to guidelines@hrca.on.ca by 三月 12, 2024 and include “CH Guidelines for Wetland Water Balance Assessments” in the subject line.

Conservation Halton regulates hazard lands such as flooding and erosion hazards, as well as an allowance adjacent to these hazards, referred to as a “regulatory allowance”.

Conservation Halton is proposing updates to its regulatory allowance policies. Last revised in 2006, the current policies permit limited types of development within the regulatory allowance (e.g., the reconstruction of existing buildings, building additions, pools, decks, grading, and non-habitable accessory structures); other types of development are otherwise restricted in these areas. For more information about our policies and our rationale for undertaking an update, please refer to the staff report (pp. 89-93) that was brought forward to the Conservation Halton Board in 2月 2024.

We invite you to share your input on the proposed updates to our regulatory allowance policies. Our staff will document and assess all input received during the response window. This feedback will help to inform recommendations to the Conservation Halton Board (expected at 6月 2024 meeting) on the approval of new policies.

Please send your feedback to policy@hrca.on.ca by 三月 29, 2024, and include “Regulatory Allowance Policy” in the subject line.

 

NOTE: On 2月 16, 2024, the Province released a decision to move ahead with legislative and regulatory changes under the Conservation Authorities Act (CA Act). The CA Act has been updated to outline where certain development activities are prohibited directly in the legislation instead of individual conservation authority (CA) regulations and to include new regulation making authority with respect to the updated permitting framework. The approved changes that come into effect on 四月 1, 2024, will revoke the existing 36 conservation authority-specific regulations and the regulation governing their contents and replace them with one new minister’s regulation (Ontario Regulation 41/24) governing prohibited activities, exemptions and permits.

Among other changes, Ontario Regulation 41/24 establishes that all CAs will regulate a distance of 15 metres from the limit of flooding and erosion hazards. CH currently regulates a 7.5 metre allowance in minor valley systems (i.e., urban creek systems) and 15 metres in major valley systems (i.e., Grindstone, Bronte and Sixteen Mile). Although the area of land that CH regulates in minor valley systems will change as of 四月 1, 2025, there are no necessitated changes to CH’s proposed regulatory allowance policies.