Advocacy on Bill 60, Data Standards, Blue Box and Conservation Authority Consolidation

Top Insights 

• AMO has supported proposed changes to the Development Charge (DC) framework, and commented on Bill 60 Fighting Delays, Building Faster 2025. This includes reinforcing AMO’s position that a new water system public corporation must be voluntary if expanded beyond Peel Region, and continuing to oppose constraints on local bike lane decisions.
• AMO presented to the Standing Committee on the Interior regarding the proposed data centre approval framework under Bill 40. Recommendations focused on balancing data centres’ big power draws with other competing electricity priorities, such as new housing and other business development.
• AMO will provide feedback to the province on its proposed plans to consolidate conservation authorities and create a new provincial oversight agency. The feedback will highlight the need for a new funding model that is less reliant on municipal investment and raise concerns about weakening municipal governance within the authorities. 
• AMO sent a letter to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks detailing the challenges with Ontario’s fragmented Blue Box program and sought funding to help municipalities close service gaps.

Bill 60 Submission 

AMO has submitted comments to the Environmental and Regulatory Registry of Ontario that are related to Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster 2025 and the Development Charges Act, 1997. 

This submission responds to several significant municipal proposals, most notably: 

• DC modernization: In its draft regulations, the province advanced the changes to modernize the DC framework recommended by AMO and the Ontario Home Builders Association. Changes will make DCs more consistent and transparent, reducing friction and lengthy appeals.
• Public corporation for water and wastewater services: AMO reviewed the proposal for implementation in Peel, which could serve as a future model for other municipalities. In this context, AMO supports the province’s commitment to maintaining public asset ownership. AMO maintains that use of this model must remain voluntary, especially since it is not a “one size fits all” approach and is best suited to small and medium-sized municipalities. Expanding the model would necessitate careful review of local rate implications. 
• Vehicle lanes: AMO continues to oppose constraints to local bike lane decisions, which are an important tool for reducing congestion. 

AMO has also commented on consultations relating to development near transit corridors, the harmonization of municipal road construction standards, streamlining land-use planning and development approvals, and the Residential Tenancies Act. 

Data Centre Approvals

On November 18, AMO presented to the Ontario Legislature’s Standing Committee on the Interior regarding Bill 40, Protect Ontario by Securing Affordable Energy for Generations Act. Bill 40 would create a new framework to oversee the connection of data centres to Ontario’s electricity grid. AMO’s comments were in support of a framework that balances data centres with other priority projects like housing and job-creation. AMO recommended that the framework maintains local approvals for data centres, prioritizes projects that deliver economic benefits to host communities like new permanent jobs, and creates a collaborative review process that includes municipalities. 

Blue Box 

AMO has sent a letter to Minister McCarthy outlining how the recent decisions by industry and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks will reduce recycling system effectiveness and efficiency. Changes risk more recyclable materials being sent to landfills and creating new costs for municipalities. AMO seeks to collaborate with the province to develop solutions for a successful province-wide Blue Bin system and asked to explore provincial funding to help municipalities fill industry’s collection gaps.  

Conservation Authority Consolidation 

On October 31, the province announced the consolidation of the existing thirty-six conservation authorities into seven and the creation of the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency. AMO supports the province's goal to streamline and improve the services provided by conservation authorities, however, we are seriously concerned about how this is being carried out. 

The government is making changes but it is not providing any new, ongoing provincial funding to run conservation authorities effectively, while simultaneously creating a new provincial oversight agency and weakening local municipal leaders’ control over conservation and environmental protections. AMO is planning to respond to the province’s posting on the Environmental Registry this December.