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Home My WebLink AboutPD-76-93 ) THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE DN: AGRIC.GPA # 'Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee Date: Monday, May 3, 1993 PD-76-93 #: PLN 28.1 File #: Subject: AN AGRICULTURAL LAND PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR ONTARIO A DISCUSSION PAPER FILE NO.: PLN 28.1 Recommend~~n~s respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PD-76-93 be received; 2. THAT the Ministry of Agriculture and Food be advised of the Town of Newcastle's comments with respect to the Agricultural Land Protection Program for Ontario, as contained in Report PD-76-93; and 3. THAT a copy of this report and Council's resolution in this matter be forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Regional Municipality of Durham and the interested parties listed in this report. 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 During the summer of 1991, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food released a document entitled An Aqricultural Land Protection Program for ontario: A Discussion Paper (hereinafter referred to as the Discussion Paper). The purpose of the Discussion Paper is to provide a new agricultural land protection program to replace the existing Food Land Guidelines, which were released in 1978 and the draft Foodland Preservation Policy, which was released in 1986. 1.2 The Discussion Paper has been released and circulated in order to afford an opportunity to municipalities throughout ontario ....2 J53 RECYCLED PAPIER PAPER IlECYClE THIS IS PRIIHEOON IIECVCLED PArEH REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 2 to provide comments on the various options to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 2 A SUMMARY OF THE DISCUSSION PAPER 2.1 The Discussion Paper is comprised of the following four components, each of which will be elaborated upon in the following: . Introduction . Components of Provincial Interest in Agricultural Land . supportive Measures for Agricultural Land Protection . Implementation 2.2 Introduction The Introduction establishes the need for protecting the agricultural land base from competing and incompatible uses. The need to protect prime agricultural land was recognized in 1986 when the draft Foodland Preservation Policy was released for public review. However, there was a diversity of views on the specific proposals in that draft policy statement and there was a concern at the time that the review did not consider a sufficient range of options for the protection of agricultural land. As a result, this Discussion Paper and the related consultations focusses solely on the aspect of agricultural land protection. The goals for the program are as follows: . to protect provincially significant agricultural lands in a long term stewardship perspective . to allow for integrated resource and growth management, whereby consideration of rural, settlement and environmental planning issues can deal with land use competition and compatibility . to support partnership arrangements for rural community development ....3 c) 5 4 REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 3 2.3 Components of Provincial Interest in Agricultural Land The Discussion Paper notes that provincial interest in agricultural land protection includes the following components: . a definition of provincially significant land . a definition of permitted land uses . a policy regarding severance activity . a policy of land conversion to other uses wi thin a context of growth management The first issue to be determined is the extent to which the policy shall be applicable. In this regard, the provincial policy will need to state which rural lands are "provincially significant". The definition of provincially significant will be influenced by many factors such as climate, soil capability, site characteristics, locational criteria, land tenure patterns, existing development controls and land evaluation systems. Following the definition of provincially significant land, permitted uses will need to be established. Uses such as conservation areas may be considered as being compatible with agricultural operations while other uses, such as home occupations may be considered less compatible with agricultural operations. Another issue which is quite contentious in the rural area is severance acti vi ty . The Discussion Paper identifies five approaches for severances in the agricultural area: agriculturally-related severances, severance quotas, infilling severances, poor pocket severances and no severances. The approval of rural severances has implications for municipal services and finances which must be considered within the context of growth management strategies. ....4 J55 REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 4 The Discussion Paper also identifies urban expansion on prime agricultural lands as a major concern. These expansions effect the productivity of agricultural land, the amount of agricultural land available, the ability to carry out normal farming practices and the price of agricultural land. The current Food Land Guidelines have established a justification approach in which municipalities are required to justify urban expansions with a detailed needs analysis. The Discussion Paper notes that a simplified alternative could involve a provision that requires municipalities to have a specified minimum area designated at all times for urban development. 2.4 Supportive Measures for Agricultural Land Protection The Discussion Paper presents several measures by which the goals and policies for agricultural land protection could be achieved. These measures are identified in the following: . land trusts, which involve the purchase and management of agricultural land by various organizations . conservation easements, which involve agreements between land owners and organizations, such as conservation authorities, limiting the development of the land . transfer of development credits which involves applying the development opportunities of the agricultural property to another property . taxation on the basis of the agricultural use rather than the market value of the property . support programs aimed at protecting agricultural land . provincial commissions established to protect agricultural land A program for agricultural land protection might involve one or more of the above measures, although the Discussion Paper does acknowledge that some measures such as the transfer of ....5 J56 REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 5 development credits are more difficult to initiate and are more limited in their application than other measures. 2.5 Implementation The Discussion Paper identifies the following tools which are available to implement an agricultural land protection program: . policy statements the municipality protection legislation drafted interests issued under the Planning Act requiring to have regard for agricultural land . and used to express provincial In addition, the Discussion Paper recognizes that a number of approaches are available for defining the provincial and municipal roles in an agricultural land protection program. These approaches include the following: . centralized approach in which the role of the province is pre-eminent and the province provides detailed direction of what lands are to be protected . decentralized approach in which the province establishes general goals with the responsibility for policy development and implementation lying with the regional or local municipality . locally specific approach whereby differing roles can be established for the province and specific municipalities depending upon specific issues 3. STAFF COMMENTS 3.1 On February 23, 1993 the Planning and Development Department met with various representatives of the agricultural community including the Soil and Crop Association, Durham Region Federation of Agriculture, East Central Christian Farmers ....6 ]57 REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 6 Association and Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and explore the planning implications of the Discussion Paper. The significant contribution of agricultural operations to the Town's economy was noted by the agricultural community. The 1986 farm cash receipts for Newcastle amounted to close to $44 million, which represented in excess of 25% of Durham Region's total farm cash receipts. In addition, farms wi thin the Town of Newcastle created 19,512 weeks of paid labour during 1986. This figure also represented in excess of 25 % of Durham Region's total. 3.2 Through the Discussion Paper, the province intends to provide policies which will ultimately protect the agricultural land base from competing and incompatible uses. The Town, supports, in principle, the establishment of a provincial program aimed at the protection of prime agricultural land. It would appear that the agricultural community also supports, in principle, the objectives of the Discussion Paper. 3.3 However, from the Town's perspective, it would appear that the decentralized approach or the locally specific approach would be the most appropriate method. within the decentralized approach, the province would provide the general goals for the program and delegate the implementation of these goals to local or regional levels of government. However, the province may still monitor the implementation process. within the locally specific approach, the province would identify the areas of provincial significance and the responsibility for implementing the goals and policies may be initiated according to local conditions. This may be relevant to the Town since a balance must be struck between the ....7 J~8 REPORT NO. PD-76-93 PAGE 7 conflicting pressures for growth in the Greater Toronto Area and the economic significance of the agricultural community. 3.4 In general, Staff agree with the main thrust of Agricultural Land Protection Program as contained in Discussion Paper and will take into consideration suggested measures for agricultural land protection in preparation of the new Official Plan for the Town. the the the the Respectfully submitted, Recommended for presentation to the Committee \ Franklin Director of Planning and Development WM*DC*FW*cc *Attach 22 April 1993 Interested parties to be notified of Council and Committee's decision: Ministry of Agriculture and Food 322 Kent Street West Lindsay, ontario K9V 4T7 Dennis Yellowlees c/o Durham Region Federation of Agriculture R. R. #1 Orono, ontario LOB IMO Walt Delang East Central Christian Farmers Association 1212 Stewart Line R. R. #3 Cavan, ontario LOA lCO John Finlay Soil and Crop Association c/o Ministry of Agriculture and Food 60 Vanedward Drive Port Perry, Onto L9L 1G3 ..... r: IJ' .') ., , ,)