EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Greenbelt Act, 2005 to restrict the Minister and the Lieutenant Governor in Council from removing land from the Greenbelt Area, removing land from the application of the Greenbelt Plan and removing a designation of land as Protected Countryside. These new restrictions apply retroactively as of December 13, 2022.

Bill 109 2023

An Act to amend the Greenbelt Act, 2005 to impose limitations on the exercise of powers conferred by the Act

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 The Greenbelt Act, 2005 is amended by adding the following section:

General limitation

1.1  (1)  Neither the Minister nor the Lieutenant Governor in Council may do anything under this Act, including making a regulation, that would have the effect of doing any of the following:

   1.  Removing any land from the Greenbelt Area.

   2.  Removing any land from the application of the Greenbelt Plan.

   3.  Removing the designation of any land as Protected Countryside.

Effect of contravention

(2)  Anything done in contravention of subsection (1), including making or filing a regulation that contravenes that subsection or amending the Greenbelt Plan in a way that contravenes that subsection, is deemed never to have been done.

Same

(3)  For greater certainty, Ontario Regulation 567/22 made under this Act, amending Ontario Regulation 59/05 (Designation of Greenbelt Area) made under this Act, is deemed never to have been made or filed.

2 The following provisions of the Act are repealed:

   1.  Subsection 2 (4).

   2.  Subsection 12 (2).

   3.  Subsection 13 (7).

Commencement

3 This Act is deemed to have come into force on December 13, 2022.

Short title

4 The short title of this Act is the Hands Off the Greenbelt Act, 2023.