Madam Chair, this amendment ensures that all projects, works, undertakings, and activities that have the potential to result in a HADD, a harmful alteration, disruption, and destruction, of fish habitat should receive an authorization before they proceed. To address the issues of approval efficiency, an automatic approval could be issued for certain classes of projects through an online automated notification or application system that issues standard conditions in a letter of advice. That way, the minister is at least able to track those smaller projects and identify cumulative effects. We heard from many witnesses about how those smaller to mid-size projects are having a big impact on our fishery and fish habitat across the country. This talks about how the minister could have an additional tool to track that.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 22 as amended agreed to on division)
(On clause 23)