Manitoba Premier, Wab Kinew, says his government has taken action to get new homes built more quickly.
This week, the Province introduced amendments to the Planning Act and the City of Winnipeg Charter Act that would reduce challenges it says are currently associated with the public appeals process for zoning changes.
"The Municipal Board was brought in under the past (Progressive Conservative) government," explained the Premier. "As you know, there's been some criticism of them, in some cases, slowing down development or projects get appealed to the Municipal Board and that causes delays or outright cancellation.
So basically, in this bill, we brought in a higher threshold before things have to get sent to the Municipal Board and, the hope is, that just means more of the house that we need, whether that's apartments or other forms of development, that those can proceed more quickly."
The Premier stressed that locally elected municipal governments have the initial decision-making power, first and foremost.
"If they green light a housing development, that's local democracy in action. But then it's just a question of if one of those locally made decisions gets appealed to the Municipal Board, should the Municipal Board step in right away or should there be more of a higher threshold?"
The proposed legislative amendments would require 300 eligible persons to object in order to trigger a public appeal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, up from 25 eligible persons, in Winnipeg, Brandon and other municipalities and planning districts with a population over 6,000 per census population.
In municipalities and planning districts with a population under 6,000, the proposed amendments would increase the number of local objectors required to trigger a referral to the greater of 100 eligible persons or five per cent of the census population. These legislative changes are expected to result in faster, clearer decisions and reduce the cost and length of potential delays.
These changes, noted the Premier, are supported by local officials, including the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM).
“The Association of Manitoba Municipalities appreciates this initial step in raising the objector threshold, which will not only reduce unnecessary costs and delays but also help restore greater municipal autonomy,” said Kathy Valentino, AMM'S interim president, in a news release. “These legislative amendments also mark a positive move toward balancing local voices with the need for efficient development, and we look forward to continued collaboration in shaping policies that reflect the unique interests of all local councils.”
According to the Province, this amendment is the first of other potential changes arising from the government’s commitment to review Bill 37, the Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act, speed up approval timelines and make sure local voices are respected.
Municipal and Northern Relations is undergoing a statutory review of planning legislation. The province expects phase two consultations to be complete by the end of October.
The Premier made the comments for this week's Premier's Report with Candace Derksen. Take a listen below.
With files from the Province of Manitoba