Polling reveals majority of Nova Scotians want the Coastal Protection Act

Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia – The Nova Scotia government has clearly miscalculated what Nova Scotians want when it comes to coastal protection.  

According to recent polling conducted by Narrative Research on behalf of the Ecology Action Centre (EAC), 86 per cent of Nova Scotians see coastal protection as important. Two-thirds (68 per cent) of Nova Scotians think the government should implement the Coastal Protection Act (CPA). Even among the government’s own conservative voters, nearly half (48 per cent) want to see the CPA implemented. 

“The numbers we saw align with what we’re hearing on the ground, which is that support for a pan provincial approach to coastal protection is strong among Nova Scotians,” says Nicolas Winkler, coastal adaptation coordinator with the EAC. “We weren’t sure what the numbers would be amongst conservative voters, but it’s clear that the Coastal Protection Act has broad support across the political spectrum. When you have a significant portion of your supporters disagreeing with you, that’s a problem.” 

The polling shows that 60 per cent of Nova Scotians think coastal protection rules should be mandatory and enforceable by law. Only one-third think that coastal protection should have optional guidelines.  

“We’re seeing people continuing to build too close to the coast across Nova Scotia,” says Winkler. “The government’s action plan is clearly not working, and it’s obvious that Nova Scotians want the clear, flexible rules that the Coastal Protection Act offers.” 

With its decision to walk away from the CPA, the government’s ineffective, costly and unenforceable plan joins a 50-year legacy of failed attempts at comprehensive coastal zone management in the province. 

“It’s important to remember that the Coastal Protection Act was the result of over a decade of work by countless government staff and organizations. The act had support from all the parties, municipalities, civil society, the insurance industry and Nova Scotians,” explains Winkler. “In the face of all this support, they have yet to provide a logical rationale for why they won’t do that.” 

The polling also revealed that 42 per cent of Nova Scotians would be more likely to vote for a political candidate in a provincial election if they supported the CPA. 

The EAC calls on the government to heed Nova Scotian’s clear desire to see the CPA implemented. The EAC wants what is best for the safety of our coastal communities and coastal ecosystems and will continue to work with all parties, stakeholders and partners until we get the best outcome for all Nova Scotians. 

The random telephone survey was conducted by Narrative Research with 400 Nova Scotians between Aug. 12 and 23, 2024. The results are accurate to within +/-4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 

Resources: 

Click here to read the polling report and learn more about the EAC’s ongoing coastal protection work.