Achi news desk-
HALIFAX –
The Nova Scotia government has finally released a consultant’s survey that opposition parties say doesn’t address the important question of whether coastal property owners want legislation aimed at protecting the province’s coastline .
Group ATN Consulting carried out the survey between September 29 and November 8 last year, but the government only published a summary of the results on Friday.
In February, the Progressive Conservative government said it would shift responsibility for coastal protection to municipalities and property owners, instead of issuing a Coastal Protection Act.
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said the newly released summary does not explain the Tories’ rationale for not moving forward with the legislation, which was adopted with all-party support by the Liberal government in 2019.
Marla MacLeod, from the Ecology Action Center in Halifax, says that the survey is part of a third round of consultations and that it did not cause any surprise with a majority of people in favor of new rules to protect the coast.
MacLeod says the third round of consultations is “totally unnecessary” and points out that the government has completely disregarded the results.
A total of 1,072 coastal property owners took part in the consultation – a response rate of 2.68 per cent after 40,000 questionnaires were distributed.
When asked if new rules were needed to protect new buildings or new renovations from coastal erosion, flooding and rising sea levels, 629 respondents said they were in favor, 236 opposed, and 198 were unsure.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 24, 2024.
