Peter Bevan-Baker Announces Plans for Sustainable Land Use Planning Island-wide and for Protecting our ShorelinesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2023
Charlottetown, PE - Over the past four years, the Dennis King Conservatives have made nearly zero progress on improving land use planning on PEI.
Their deeply flawed approach to land use planning has not improved our housing crisis. It has led to acres and acres of farmland being pulled from production. It has led to widespread clear-cutting of Island forests. It has also allowed wealthy non-residents to flout the rules and damage our beautiful coastlines.
The Green Party recognizes the importance of sustainable land use planning in supporting our housing goals, protecting our agriculture industry, protecting Island forests, and protecting our shorelines.
Today, Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker, along with District 13 candidate and land use planner Janice Harper, announced that a Green Government would:
Implement land use planning Island-wide.
Give municipalities the resources they need to implement strong local planning.
Make land ownership and purchases more transparent to make sure the Lands Protection Act can be properly enforced.
Maintain the shoreline development moratorium until new and improved shoreline protection legislation is in place.
A further announcement on regulating our housing market will be made in the coming days.
Quotes:
“Successive Liberal and Tory governments delayed implementing a land-use plan despite numerous recommendations and calls for action going back 50 years. This inaction has led to developments along our fragile shorelines and in flood prone areas, as well as a loss of precious farmland. Proper planning will allow communities to grow and meet the needs of Islanders in more sustainable ways.”
Peter Bevan-Baker, Leader of the Green Party of PEI
“We are living in a period of rapid climate change. We see almost daily the major impacts our new climate reality is having on our local geography and local economy. We must make informed decisions about how to address climate change and how to manage our economy. That starts with how we use land. We need to stop building in wetlands and areas prone to erosion and flooding. Building sustainable communities and protecting land doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by planning.”
Janice Harper, Green Candidate for District 13, Charlottetown-Brighton
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jonathan Hamel
Director of Communications
Green Party of PEI
Tel: (902) 916-7816
Email: jonathan.hamel@greenparty.pe.ca
