BILL NO. 393

(as introduced)

1st Session, 64th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
2 Charles III, 2023

 

Private Member's Bill

 

Commercial Greenhouses and Vertical Farming Act

 

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin
Cumberland North

First Reading: October 31, 2023

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

 

An Act to Support Commercial Greenhouses
and Vertical Farming

WHEREAS Nova Scotians want access to competitively priced, locally grown, fresh and healthy food available where other shopping is done and throughout the year;

AND WHEREAS the cost of groceries in Nova Scotia is heavily impacted by Russia's war on Ukraine and this has added to inflationary pressures causing a rise in the cost of groceries in Nova Scotia by almost 13%.

AND WHEREAS increasing production of Nova Scotia's local food supply is essential to securing a stable food supply and reducing reliance on food imports;

AND WHEREAS the lack of reliability of critical infrastructure through the international trade corridor across the Chignecto Isthmus also impacts Nova Scotia;

AND WHEREAS this increased threat to food supply chain makes it imperative to increase the amount of food produced in the Province;

THEREFORE be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Commercial Greenhouses and Vertical Farming Act.

2 The purpose of this Act to support both commercial greenhouses and vertical farming in order to increase local food production.

3 (1) Subject to Section 4, the Minister of Agriculture shall create a program to provide incentives to support the building of commercial greenhouses and to convert existing greenhouses to use geothermal energy or wood chips for heat generation.

(2) An incentive for the building of commercial greenhouses may include the rebating of any or all municipal property taxes for the property on which the building is located for a period of up to 20 years, subject to the agreement of the relevant municipality.

(3) An incentive to convert an existing greenhouse to use geothermal energy or wood chips for heat generation may be in the form of a rebate of up to 50% of the capital cost of the conversion.

4 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Governor in Council.

 

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