Food and Water First
Food Water FirstGravel Watch Ontario - PPS Workshop
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- Published on Wednesday, 10 October 2012 17:36
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A message from Ric Holt, President of Gravel Watch Ontario
The Draft Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) which fundamentally affects how aggregates (stone, sand and gravel) are managed in Ontario has recently been released. During the next month the Provincial Government is holding workshops across the Province to review this Draft PPS.
Please sign up for a PPS workshop. See dates and details:
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page10057.aspx
Note: The window has already closed for London and Windsor, although you might be able to attend, considering the lack of notice time given to the public. The best chances for attending around the GTA will be in Toronto and Mississauga, held the first week of November -- RSVP by November 1st.
Key information about the PPS
Existing PPS http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page215.aspx
Draft PPS http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page9990.aspx
Changes in PPS -- From existing PPS 2005 to draft PPS 2012
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page9990.aspx
Gravel Watch’s 14 recommendations for PPS. Previously submitted but ignored by Province
Summary
http://www.gravelwatch.org/orig-gw/pps/GravelWatch-PPS-summary-14-points-121008a.pdf
Details
http://www.gravelwatch.org/orig-gw/pps/GravelWatch-PPS-comments-101024f-final.pdf
Gravel Watch’s existing web page on PPS
http://www.gravelwatch.org/policy_pps.htm
Thanks, Ric Holt, President of Gravel Watch Ontario
PS: History and details. In 2010, Gravel Watch participated in the review of the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement, supporting the PPS aims of promoting the long-term prosperity and social well-being of Ontarians by maintaining strong communities, a clean and healthy environment and a strong economy. Gravel Watch also participated in the corresponding 2010 workshops. Our efforts are founded in on-the-ground experience as to how current policies perpetuate social conflicts with aggregate extraction land use.
The new PPS draft (September 2012) for revision of the PPS shows very little progress toward the management of more efficient land use regarding the extraction of aggregate resources. Indeed, this draft retains all the existing industry-biased provisions found in the existing PPS. Now the public is invited on short notice to submit additional comments and participate in further workshops with little encouragement that our efforts will be considered more seriously. This approach seems to discourage public participation in this critically important process to improve the fairness in land use management. However having said all that, it is critically important that the government continues to hear the steady drumbeat of the need for reform on sustainable extraction.