A group that has worked for the past six years to find methods for Centre Wellington Township to develop in a sustainable ways will now need the help of council in order to proceed.
The group wants a system of greenlands across the municipality that “enhances the well being and quality of life for residents, respects the integrity of the natural environment, and contributes to a sustainable community for future generations.
Greenlands Centre Wellington spokesman Deryk Smith said the provincial Greenbelt legislation protects a lot of the natural environment in watersheds that flow into Lake Ontario, but the Grand River flows into Lake Erie, and it is slated for growth – and is mostly outside the Greenbelt.
The group has given a number of reports to council an done a landscape analysis, as well as consider all the provincial policy statements. It has also consulted with the Wellington County planning department on the county official plan, and once that is done, Centre Wellington will do its official plan, which adhere follow the county plan, but has scope for finer details.
Smith said, “We are proud of the report we have developed,” and cited a number of workshops and conferences that have taken place.
But, he said, “We can’t do any more. It’s time for the new council to be taking the initiative.”
He asked Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj if the work will be on “the top ten list” for the coming term.
She replied, “It’s already there,” given the work coming on the official plan. “We share a common goal – how to fit it into a sustainable plan. It will be at the table. We will bring it to the next council to see how it will work out.”
Smith said there are ways available to show how to incorporate the group’s work into official plans and still meet the Provincial Policy Statements. He added there are some new principles of landscape ecology, conservation biology, and landscape biology that will meet provincial legislation.
The landscape analysis identified the existing large scale system of natural features, areas, and linkages that serve as a general framework for natural heritage options in the township.
Councillor Fred Morris noted that one request from the group was to have “a budget line” in the coming years, and asked how much that would be.
Smith said he did not know what the cost would be.
Smith said the group found:
– our wetlands are the most important wildlife habitat in the township; and
– the existing system of hedgerows, especially in the eastern and northern portions of the township, is significant to wildlife habitat and regional environmental integrity.
But Smith told council when the group approaches developers and other landowners, they get the response “Who are you? You’re not council.”
Smith said the stewardship section of the plan must include landowners, and, he predicted, that is going to be a difficult part for council to negotiate.
“You’ll need to hear from them, for sure. We know that’s going to be the hard part. You can delay” but, he noted, the township is running 15 years behind communities like Halton and Peel Regions, and ten years behind Waterloo Region.
“The province has said we have to do it,” he added. “It’s a question of time.”
But, he noted, the work, while difficult -especially in convincing landowners to buy in – is not impossible. He said Halton, at a conference recently explained that it had held 40 meetings with landowners to implement its plan, and to settle where the lines would go on the map, but at the end of last year, the plan was unanimously approved by the region.
“It can be done,” he said.
Township planner Brett Salmon told council that Smith is correct that it is now council’s turn.
“Greenlands tried to reach out … They got ‘Who are you?’ The MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources] would comment – if it came from the municipality.”
The Greenlands report concluded that there are short, medium, and long term steps for council to take.
In the short term the group asked council:
– to endorse the concept in the official plan and corporate strategy plan;
– create a citizen advisory committee with a terms of reference and a budget, and allow it to develop a an educational component to inform and involve community members; and
– preparation of a trails master plan for the township.
In the medium term, council should have a citizen advisory committee report on how to proceed with a deadline and a proposed budget for implementing a natural heritage system.
In the long term, the group wants council to:
– implement a citizen advisory natural heritage system report, including ongoing public consultation;
– a natural heritage system bylaw (in time for the next official plan in 2015);
– design and implementation of a long term monitoring program for the natural heritage system (2016) and
– design and implementation of a natural Heritage Securement and Management Strategy (for 2017).
