WHEREAS environmental rules are putting inflated costs to construction of road infrastructure;

WHEREAS the costs quoted by engineering firms have risen by as much as six times or more;

WHEREAS rural municipalities are environmentally friendly and agree the environment must be protected;

WHEREAS environmental regulations are creating additional costs for rural municipalities that are unsustainable.

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby both levels of government to implement a graduated index for environmental guidelines which incorporates common sense into the guidelines. For example, where fish are found in an area where 2014 flooding enabled them to inhabit the area, and only one fish is found, the area be rated as one on a scale of one to 10, but a year-round flowing river be rated as a 10.

View response from the Ministry of Environment