Email this pageProvincial Policy Statement

The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is the statement of the government’s policies on land use planning. It provides direction for the entire province on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development, and promotes the provincial “policy-led” planning system.

Municipalities use the PPS to develop their official plans and to make decisions on other planning matters.

The PPS is issued under section 3 of the Planning Act and all decisions affecting land use planning matters "shall be consistent with" the Provincial Policy Statement.

The Provincial Policy Statement recognizes the complex inter-relationships among economic, environmental and social factors in planning and embodies good planning principles. It provides strong, clear policy direction on land use planning to promote strong communities, a clean and healthy environment and a strong economy. It includes policies on key issues that affect our communities, such as:

• the efficient use and management of land and infrastructure;
• protection of the environment and resources; and,
• ensuring appropriate opportunities for employment and residential development, including support for a mix of uses. 

The current Provincial Policy Statement came into effect on March 1, 2005.  Subsection 3(10) of the Planning Act states that the PPS must be reviewed every five years from the date that the PPS came into effect, to determine whether revisions are needed.

The Province commenced the current review in March 2010 and consulted across the province.  We are now seeking your input on the draft policies and on whether to extend the review timeframe under the Planning Act.