Regulations under this Act:
O. Reg. 416/05 Growth plan areas
O. Reg. 311/06 Transitional matters-growth plan for the greater golden horseshoe
The preamble to the Act states:
The Government of Ontario recognizes that in order to accommodate future population growth, support economic prosperity and achieve a high quality of life for all Ontarians, planning must occur in a rational and strategic way.
The Government of Ontario recognizes that building complete and strong communities, making efficient use of existing infrastructure and preserving natural and agricultural resources will contribute to maximizing the benefits, and minimizing the costs, of growth.
The Government of Ontario recognizes that identifying where and how growth should occur will support improved global competitiveness, sustain the natural environment and provide clarity for the purpose of determining priority of infrastructure investments.
The Government of Ontario recognizes that an integrated and co-ordinated approach to making decisions about growth across all levels of government will contribute to maximizing the value of public investments.
The intention of the Act is to have long-term planning and long-term goals guide decision-making about growth. The legislation puts in place the legal framework necessary for the government to designate any geographic region of the province as a growth plan area and subsequently to develop a growth plan for that area. Through consultation with local officials, stakeholders, public groups, and members of the public, the Act enables the government to plan population growth, economic expansion, and the protection of environmental and agricultural land with the goal that growth plans reflect the needs, strengths and opportunities of the communities involved.
Complementary to legislation like the Greenbelt Act, the Niagara Escarpment Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan that identify where urbanization should not occur, the Places to Grow Act seeks to identify areas where economic growth should occur. The overall objective is that growth plans promote growth that balances the needs of the economy with the environment.
Some of the areas that a growth plan may address include:
(a) population projections and allocations;
(b) an assessment and identification of priority growth areas, emerging growth areas and future growth areas, over specified time periods;
(c) growth strategies for all or part of the growth plan area;
(d) intensification and density policies and goals;
(e) the location of industry and commerce;
(f) the protection of sensitive and significant lands, including agricultural lands, and water resources;
(g) the conservation of energy;
(h) transportation planning;
(i) municipal waste management planning;
(j) affordable housing;
(k) community design;
(l) infrastructure development and the location of infrastructure and institutions.
In the matter of conflicts with official plans or zoning by-laws, a growth plan will prevail. In cases where a conflict occurs between a growth plan and another plan that may relate to the natural environment or human health, such as the Planning Act, Greenbelt Act, Niagara Escarpment Plan, and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, the plan that provides more protection to the natural environment or human health shall prevail.