No timeline for next round of consultation on coastal protection, says environment minister

Environment Minister Tim Halman says the most recent round of consultation on the Coastal Protection Act showed that lots of people seemed to know about the legislation, except for the group most likely to be impacted coastal property owners.

"This is going to be a very important piece of our climate adaptation, so I want to make sure people understand what this is all about, what it entails," Halman told reporters following a cabinet meeting Thursday.

"There's a lot of misunderstandings about it and that's why we're tailoring this new round of consultation and education component to help folks understand why this is important."

The former Liberal government passed the act in 2019. It's intended to prevent people from building in areas near the coast that are vulnerable to climate changewhile protecting features such as sand dunes and salt marshes.

• South Shore municipality asks province for moratorium on coastal development

Community consultation for the legislation and regulations happened in 2018 and 2021.

A need for public buy in

Last September, Halman said he hoped to have the regulations complete by early 2023. Then he announced in March there was no longer a timeline because more education and consultation needed to happen.

On Thursday, Halman said there is still no timeline for when that work will happen. It's important to take the necessary time to get the public to buy in, he said.

"We're a coastal people and we're always going to remain a coastal people," he said. "It's ingrained in our identity and I think that's why there's a lot of passion around this."

In the meantime, Halman said people can get information about where it's safe and not safe to build from their local municipality, the Insurance Bureau of Canada or by contacting his department. Those resources notwithstanding, there is nothing in place to compel people to follow the advice of those various agencies.

Opposition accuses government of willful delays

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said the ongoing delay in proclaiming the act leaves property owners at risk.

"Without having the Coastal Protection Act passed, people can build in areas that are going to be unsafe, that can be washed out or subject to problems with erosion," he said.

"They're really putting people's builds in jeopardy.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it's unusual for a government to take this long to move on a piece of legislation. She thinks the Tories are deliberately delaying proclamation of the act.

"We hear from the premier all the time [that] he's not a patient person, he wants action," she said.

"They are dragging their feet and, by their own admission, so that they can educate property owners. That is not a sufficient excuse."

Chender said the delays in proclamation are allowing people to build in areas that will become off limits once the act comes into force.