Nova Scotia Coastal Policy

On February 26, 2024, the Nova Scotia Provincial Government released The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline (the Coastal Protection Action Plan), a series of 15 actions to help property owners, municipalities, and other stakeholders make informed decisions and protect Nova Scotia’s coastlines. Of these, Action 8 included the development of guidance for municipalities incorporating coastal protection into municipal planning documents. Subsequently, UPLAND took on the project in the fall of 2024.

Nova Scotia has 39 coastal municipalities, which range vastly in size, resourcing, level of coastal development, and type of shoreline(s). Coastal land use planning must therefore be adaptable to the local environment, local administrative capacity, and community priorities. UPLAND was tasked with engaging municipal staff and stakeholders to understand the coastal issues important in their communities, the municipal planning tools they need to address these issues, and the specific resourcing considerations in each municipality. UPLAND hosted virtual one-on-one meetings with 15 municipalities and also traveled around the province from Yarmouth to Cape Breton to host municipal workshops and garner the necessary feedback.

UPLAND then developed example Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law text that municipalities can adapt to suit their coastal land use planning needs. UPLAND also developed a plain-language decision making guide to help municipal staff navigate the public and political process of setting coastal priorities and identifying the land use planning responses that appropriately meet these priorities.