OFA has provided comments to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing through their consultation process on proposed planning changes.
OFA supports planning reforms that encourage urban intensification, mixed-use development, and denser settlement patterns as a way to reduce pressure on farmland and limit urban expansion into rural areas. OFA supports reducing minimum lot sizes and promoting incremental growth within existing urban boundaries to improve land-use efficiency and protect agricultural land.
OFA recommends that the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS, 2024) remain the primary source for planning definitions and cautions against introducing new or alternative terminology through separate regulations, which could create inconsistencies and legal uncertainty.
OFA opposes removing public notice requirements for minister’s zoning orders (MZOs) and recommends that MZOs be subject to agricultural impact assessments and not be used to convert agricultural land to non-agricultural uses.
OFA also supports restoring planning responsibilities to upper-tier municipalities, emphasizing the importance of coordinated regional planning to protect Ontario’s interconnected agricultural system and reduce complexity in the planning process.