Achi news desk-
HALIFAX –
Dozens of people gathered in front of the Nova Scotia legislature today to rally in support of coastal protection legislation that the provincial government is refusing to issue.
The Progressive Conservative government said in February it would not implement the Coastal Protection Act, which was passed in 2019 by the former Liberal government with the support of all parties in the legislature.
The act would have offered more protection to coastal areas, dunes and salt marshes, and restricted development along parts of the coast that are at risk of heavy erosion.
Maggie Burns, executive director of the Ecology Action Centre, told protesters today that the government has provided no “credible rationale” for its decision to shift much of the responsibility for coastal protection to property owners and municipalities.
Burns says the act is essential to addressing climate change and severe weather because it is designed to protect homes and ecosystems, and shield taxpayers from liability.
He urged the crowd of environmentalists, coastal landowners and opposition politicians to maintain pressure on the government, and to make coastal protection an election issue.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 8, 2024.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
