Municipalities call on re-elected Houston government to revisit coastal protection

Nova Scotia municipal leaders meeting in Halifax are renewing their call for the province to take the lead on coastal protection.

The Houston government announced earlier this year it was scrapping the Coastal Protection Act, which would have regulated development in proximity to the shoreline. 

The issue was discussed at this week's annual conference of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.

Federation president Pam Mood said coastal protection is a provincial issue that municipalities cannot afford to take on.

"We can't let the work go, so we'll continue to do what we can in the meantime while we advocate for the province to take it back," said Mood.

"We need to find a way to help the government understand that any money we are spending needs to be taken on by the province."

The Coastal Protection Act was passed with all-party support in 2019.

In February, rather than proclaiming the act, the provincial government put forward an action plan with responsibilities split among property owners, municipalities and the province. It also created a coastal hazards map that shows residents what sea level rise and storm surge could look like in the year 2100.

As well, the government said it would craft sample bylaws that municipalities can use to help regulate coastal protection in their communities. 

The move was criticized at the time by the opposition, with the Liberals accusing the government of downloading difficult decisions and rulemaking to municipalities, many of which do not have the in-house expertise for such planning work.

Municipalities 'getting lots of questions'

In August, the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities hired Gordon Smith to help local governments create their own coastal bylaws. Smith, who previously worked with the province on coastal protection, spoke at the federation's conference Friday. 

"There are existing resources that are out there that the province already has put out," said Smith in an interview with CBC News.

"[Local governments are] getting lots of questions. So are there ways that I can help them get information and think about those questions and have answers for their constituents?" 

But Robert Parker, warden for the Municipality of Pictou County, said Premier Tim Houston — whose Progressive Conservative Party won a supermajority in this week's provincial election — should give more thought to introducing provincewide rules.

"Now is the time to say, 'We rethought this a little and we're going to change things some,'" said Parker. "They need to do it for our future and for the future of our children and grandchildren." 

A statement provided Friday evening from Nova Scotia's Department of Environment and Climate Change said municipal leadership is "key" on coastal protection.

"Municipalities know their communities best, their unique needs and they have jurisdiction for land-use planning, zoning and building permits," reads the statement. 

It went on to cite a "strong Coastal Protection Action Plan … that empowers municipalities and property owners with the tools they need to protect our coastal communities."