Provincial Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan

Greenbelt Plan Amendments Reversal

In December 2022, the Government of Ontario removed 795 hectares of land from the Greenbelt within the City of Hamilton. On October 16, 2023, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 136, Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 which if passed will add all the lands removed from the Greenbelt in December 2022 back to the Greenbelt Plan Area.

Hamilton City Council had previously passed motions on February 8, 2023 and August 18, 2023 calling on the Province to reinstate the lands to the Greenbelt Area. Planning Committee approved the recommendations of Staff Report PED23244 in support of the reinstatement of these lands to the Greenbelt Area on November 14, 2023 and will be ratified at Council on November 22, 2023.

Bill 136, Greenbelt Statue Law Amendment Act, 2023 is posted on the Environment Registry of Ontario website (ERO 019-7739). The public commenting period closed on November 30, 2023.

UPDATE: On December 6, 2023, Bill 136, Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023, received Royal Assent, adding all the lands removed from the Greenbelt in December 2022 back into the Greenbelt Plan Area.

Public Input on Greenbelt Lands Prior to Provincial Reversal

On July 14, 2023 Council passed a motion directing staff to provide input to the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator, under protest, and to schedule a public meeting of Planning Committee for the purpose of obtaining public input respecting the development of the lands removed from the Greenbelt Plan Area. The special meeting of Planning Committee was held on September 14, 2023. The City also held an Open House on September 6, 2023 and provided an online survey for public input.