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WINNIPEG – The Government of Manitoba has introduced legislation to accelerate building new housing.

Amendments introduced to the Planning Act and City of Winnipeg Charter Act would change the appeals process for zoning changes by removing a requirement that made it difficult for municipalities to change local zoning bylaws and allowing faster new housing construction, a provincial government release said.

The proposed legislative amendments would require 300 eligible people to object in order to trigger a public appeal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, up from 25, in Winnipeg, Brandon and other municipalities and planning districts with a population over 6,000 per census population.

In municipalities and planning districts with a population under 6,000, the proposed amendments would increase the number of local objectors required to trigger a referral to the greater of 100 eligible people or five per cent of the census population, it added.

“The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) appreciates this initial step in raising the objector threshold, which will not only reduce unnecessary costs and delays but also help restore greater municipal autonomy. These legislative amendments also mark a positive move toward balancing local voices with the need for efficient development, and we look forward to continued collaboration in shaping policies that reflect the unique interests of all local councils,” AMM interim president Kathy Valentino said in a statement.

The Ministry of Municipal and Northern Relations is undergoing a statutory review of planning legislation with phase two consultations to be complete by the end of October.