LETTER: Be vigilant of politicians and developers seeking MZOs, writer says

Midland Today welcomes letters to the editor. They can be sent to [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).

I am alarmed by the article in a recent edition of MidlandToday regarding the Minister's Zoning Orders being used by developers and municipal councils to avoid due diligence. 

From the information in the article, this method seems to push aside zoning by-laws, environmental reviews as well as avoiding scrutiny from the public.

It seems to place control for local decisions and concerns in the hands of the provincial government. The present government places a high priority on development. But uncontrolled development can reduce farmland, wetlands, wildlife habitat, etc.

The future health of our planet is at stake and we need to proceed with caution.

I think most of us would be diligent about our own health, but we sometimes think that the planet can absorb all that our modern world throws at it.

I am aware also that many don't believe climate change is real. But is it worth the risk?

Many of us buy insurance, but we must also buy insurance for our planet and this means being overly cautious about development. I don't think we can always trust our politicians with this type of oversight.