The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) said it believes the provincial government's plan to turn 36 local Conservation Authorities into seven Regional Authorities is a bad idea.
A special board meeting was held by the LTVCA in November to discuss the government's proposal, which was announced by Environment Minister Todd McCarthy at the end of October.
"Conservation authorities play a vital role in protecting our communities and managing our watersheds, but the system has become too fragmented, inconsistent and outdated," McCarthy said in his announcement, adding that a new agency would be created to oversee the amalgamation of Ontario's Conservation Authorities.
"The new, dedicated agency would work with conservation leaders to ensure faster, more transparent permitting, and more front-line services so we can reduce delays to get shovels in the ground sooner, support economic growth and keep our communities safe from floods and other natural hazards," he said.
The LTVCA disagreed with McCarthy's opinion that a single Regional Authority would be able to act on initiatives and emergency situations quickly, as they would simply be too big to know what could be happening at a local level.
"The main concern was accountability from the Regional Conservation Authority to the local municipalities," a statement from the LTVCA board meeting said. "Local service delivery is critical to maintaining on the ground services to builders, developers and residents. The creation of a huge regional conservation authority will not only decrease accountability but increase bureaucracy, costs and timelines for local communities."
The Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority (LERCA), which the LTVCA would be folded into, would stretch from Windsor through CK, London, and Sarnia, and into Waterloo Region.
The following Conservation Authorities would be combined:
• Essex Region Conservation Authority
• St. Clair Region Conservation Authority
• Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
• Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
• Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
• Catfish Creek Conservation Authority
• Long Point Region Conservation Authority
• Grand River Conservation Authority
It would include 81 municipalities and cover a total population of 2.2 million people.
According to the LTVCA, the provincial goals that the consolidation aims to achieve can be realized without imposing a new top-down agency structure.
The conservation authority explained that it has already modernized to align with local objectives, with work that included implementing a Customer Service Delivery Program, improvement in transparency, client communication, and data and network systems, as well as maintaining a low administrative overhead cost.
Another concern of the LTVCA board was the vast difference in climatic, hydrological, and infrastructure needs across the proposed regional conservation authority.
The conservation authority is asking CK residents to speak up and tell the province that conservation decisions should stay local. It is encouraging contacting local MPPs or providing feedback at the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO #025-1257).
Public comments can be made here, and will be accepted until December 22, 2025.
