The Nova Scotia government has announced the commencement of the first phase of NovaMINE, a new, interactive, and one-stop portal for mine permitting, which enables users to check the status of their applications for licences, permits, and approvals.
According to Nova Scotia’s news release, under the phased approach of its Department of Natural Resources, the following phases aim to expand NovaMINE to include all online permitting and payment services.
The Nova Scotia government stated that the online portal demonstrates its commitment to long-term and sustainable economic growth. Tory Rushton, the province’s natural resources minister, added that the launch shows Nova Scotia’s readiness for responsible resource development.
“NovaMINE represents a modern way of doing business,” Rushton said in the news release.
“NovaMINE is a strong signal that Nova Scotia is serious about innovation and competitiveness,” added Deidre Puddister, NexGold’s vice president of sustainability.
The provincial government noted that the portal, developed with internal government resources,
cost $60,000.
Portal’s goals
According to Nova Scotia’s news release, NovaMINE seeks to simplify mine permitting without compromising standards, improve access to information for industry players, and promote transparency throughout the process.
“Industry welcomes steps that improve clarity and timelines,” Puddister said in the province’s news release.
The provincial government stated that the online portal aims to advance the government’s broader efforts to make it easier to do business in the mining sector and help the natural resources sector grow responsibly and sustainably.
Nova Scotia added that it recently streamlined multiple permitting processes in an effort to provide industry stakeholders with greater clarity while maintaining strong environmental safeguards.
On June 13, Timothy Halman, Nova Scotia’s minister of environment and climate change, announced that the province updated its industrial approval process for metal mining.
In its previous news release, the provincial government claimed that the changes sought to cut red tape, speed up projects, decrease delays, and support responsible natural resource development, all while continuing to protect the environment.
“These changes will result in a smarter application process that is clearer for industry, maintains strong environmental protection and helps grow our economy,” Halman said in the prior news release. “Our mining industry is critically important and can play a larger role in supplying the minerals that are in global demand to fight climate change.”
The provincial government also shared that its legislature passed the Making Business Easier Act in the fall session. Nova Scotia noted that it committed to reducing red tape even more for the mining sector and others through this legislation.