Cataraqui Conservation is seeking public input on how it implements an important regulation intended to protect people and property from natural hazards.
Cataraqui Conservation is mandated by the Province to implement Ontario Regulation 148/06: Development Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses, pursuant to Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act.
The purpose of Ontario Regulation 148/06 is to ensure that proposed changes (e.g., development and site alteration) to a property are not affected by natural hazards, such as flooding and erosion, and that the changes do not put people and their or other properties at greater risk from these hazards. The purpose is also to protect the hydrologic and ecologic functions of wetlands.
The guiding philosophy behind all Conservation Authorities in Ontario, including Cataraqui Conservation is an integrated, systems approach to watershed management, balancing human, environmental and economic needs and recognizing the relationship between ecosystem functions and human activities.
Cataraqui Conservation has a regulatory guideline document entitled ‘Implementing Ontario Regulation 148/06’ that staff use when reviewing Ontario Regulation 148/06 development applications. This document, which can be found here (https://crca.ca/policies-guidelines/), is the subject of the current policy update.
As part of this process, Cataraqui Conservation staff is seeking input from the public and stakeholders. The consultation period will run from July 4 to July 29, 2022. Staff, the Planning and Permitting Ad Hoc Committee and Full Authority Board will take any comments received into consideration as part of the policy update process prior to finalization.
In order to connect with the public and stakeholders in the most efficient and effective way, a webpage on the Cataraqui Conservation site has been dedicated for the consultation process. This will be supplemented with social media postings, and direct notifications to stakeholders including our member municipalities and other agencies, organizations, and consultants.
While the ‘Guidelines’ document was last updated in 2021 to address time-sensitive, policy-specific items, normally a comprehensive review and update is done every five years. The last comprehensive update was in 2017. The document is currently being updated as per the scheduled five-year timeframe to ensure that it reflects current legislation and best practices.
Updates include (but not limited to):
- General housekeeping amendments to address minor text and formatting changes that were required to correct grammatical or spelling errors, improve clarity and maintain currency
- Changes to in-water work related guidelines including shore, dock and boathouse development
- Policy development in response to Minister’s Zoning Orders
- Applicability of legal non-conforming rights under the Conservation Authorities Act
- Response to impacts of climate change on natural hazards
- Updates to development which no longer require permit approval (e.g., certain fence designs, and like-for-like decking replacement on docks)
- Wetland policy updates for development and site alterations within wetlands and within 30 metres of a wetland
Written comments are invited to be submitted during the comment period online at https://cataraquiconservation.ca/pages/cataraqui-conservation-permitting-policy-updates
