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Halton Region is reviewing its Regional Official Plan, which guides land-use decisions to ensure new development continues to meet the needs of current and future residents. To gain input from the community, Halton is asking residents to participate in the review process through a variety of public engagement opportunities. The consultation period is starting with an online questionnaire that residents are being asked to complete by September 28, 2020.

“Halton is dedicated to providing the Regional programs, services and infrastructure that keep our community a great place to live as our population continues to grow,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “By engaging with the public on how to balance growth and sustainability, we can make sure that planning decisions reflect the needs of residents and preserve our high quality of life for years to come.”

Halton reviews the Regional Official Plan every five years to ensure it is aligned with Provincial policies and remains responsive to current social, economic and demographic conditions. There are five areas currently under review:

• Natural Heritage: Natural heritage system policies to preserve the natural environment and protect source water.
• Rural and Agricultural System: Agricultural policies to preserve agricultural land and supporting farming in Halton.
• Climate Change: Land-use policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.
• North Aldershot Planning Area: Implications of growth management, natural heritage and a rural and agricultural system in the North Aldershot area.
• Regional Urban Structure (Integrated Growth Management Strategy): Urban system and growth management policies to guide population and job growth.

To help residents learn more about each area under review, Halton Region has created summary webpages and posted discussion papers on their website. The Region is asking the community to provide feedback by visiting halton.ca/ropr and following the links on any of the summary pages to:

1. Take the general questionnaire: Residents can provide high-level feedback on theme areas relating to the Regional Official Plan.
2. Complete the technical questionnaire: Community members can provide detailed feedback on theme areas relating to the Regional Official Plan. The technical questionnaire contains questions on each of the five discussion papers. Residents can answer those questions that they are interested in.

Responses will be collected until September 28, 2020. There will also be opportunities for residents to share their thoughts through virtual Public Information Centres this fall. More information on those events will be available soon. 

To learn more about the Regional Official Plan review and sign up to receive email updates on the review process, please visit halton.ca/ropr. To request the questionnaire in an alternative format, please call 311 or email accesshalton@halton.ca.

The Regional Municipality of Halton serves 580,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.