News release

Legislation Introduced to Help Complete Projects, Grow the Economy

Public Works
Municipal Affairs

Helping people and goods move more efficiently and further unlocking Nova Scotia’s potential for growth and a brighter future are the aims of legislation introduced today, February 20.

The government is amending the Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act to broaden the agency’s scope, which will help advance efforts to ease congestion and provide transportation solutions for the entire province.

The new Temporary Access to Land Act will help property owners resolve disputes when seeking access to an adjacent property to complete construction and repairs after all other options have been exhausted.

“This is another example of how this government is taking the no out of Nova Scotia and finding ways to get important projects done that improve people’s lives,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. “By easing congestion, improving transportation options and giving business and industry ways to make the most of our opportunities, we are growing our economy and creating a brighter future for our province.”

Amendments to the Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act include:

  • changing the name of the agency to Link Nova Scotia
  • expanding the scope of the agency, as well as updating its governance structure
  • establishing a ministerial advisory committee
  • clarifying municipal roles and ministerial oversight
  • giving the government the ability to create regulations
  • allowing the agency to leverage federal public transit programs on behalf of the government.

The Temporary Access to Land Act, under the Department of Municipal Affairs, will create a process to help address temporary access issues in situations where an agreement cannot be reached for property owners completing work on commercial, institutional, industrial or large multi-residential developments or buildings, and infrastructure projects.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will adjudicate applications for access, and regulations will be developed to determine eligibility, calculate compensation, establish damage deposits and more.

Quotes:

“In the face of the tremendous growth we’re seeing in this province, it’s crucial that our government does everything we can to promote and enable development. This legislation will provide a transparent, efficient option for property owners to resolve stalemate situations surrounding temporary property access, while ensuring that affected property owners are compensated fairly.”
— John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs

Quick Facts:

  • the Joint Regional Transportation Agency was created in the fall of 2021 to address transportation issues and opportunities to support Nova Scotia’s population growth
  • the agency was tasked with doing a comprehensive review of all modes of transportation within 100 kilometres of Halifax Regional Municipality and presenting recommendations to the Province
  • as of April 1, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will become the Energy and Regulatory Boards Tribunal

Additional Resources:

Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1

Joint Regional Transportation Agency website: https://jrta.ca

Department of Public Works on X: https://x.com/NS_PublicWorks

Department of Municipal Affairs on X: https://x.com/NS_MunAffairs

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