Coastal Protection Left to Locals
The province announced action on the long-awaited Coastal Protection Act, an initiative passed by the former Liberal government but never proclaimed.
The act was designed to protect sensitive coastal land while reducing risks due to climate change for people living close the shore.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change released a report today that will recharge the debate over this sensitive concern.
Tim Halman says, “Nova Scotians are a coastal people, and being near the ocean contributes significantly to our quality of life – people want to live by it and be safe.
Halman added, “However, we need to adapt as climate change increasingly impacts our communities. This new plan is part of our government’s integrated and holistic approach to climate change.”
The minister released The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline: The plan to protect people, homes and nature from climate change along our coast, which has 15 actions for property owners, municipalities, and the Province to make coastal homes, communities, and natural areas safer.
Climate change is causing rising sea levels and stronger storms which can lead to more storm surge flooding and erosion, which put people and properties at risk. Nova Scotians living by the coast and municipalities now have new resources to make their homes, communities, and natural areas more resilient to this reality.
The plan focuses on empowering coastal property owners to make informed decisions, supporting municipal leadership and aligning resources with coastal protection.
Consultation meetings over four years ago warned of stringent regulations on building on coastal property. It was noted that too many homes and cottages are already on land that is subject to flooding and storm surges and challenges will only increase as rising tides and changing weather patterns make the danger even worse.
Today’s announcement removed mention of new regulations or restrictions. Instead, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing noted that municipalities have that responsibility.
John Lohr says, “As the level of government responsible for land-use planning, zoning, building permits, and building bylaws, municipalities are best equipped to take a holistic approach to planning, designing and building coastal communities so that they are resilient to climate change.”
Lohr added, “They have strong processes and systems to ensure community development and building is done in a way that is sustainable and safe.”
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