Municipal Sustainability Office

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs) support the development of sustainable, healthy, and vibrant communities. ICSPs recognize the interconnected dimensions of environment, society, culture, and economic development within a community and/or a region, and focuses on integrating these considerations to achieve a 20 – 30 year (and beyond) vision for the community.  ICSPs aim to empower communities to address their current and future needs, embedding their infrastructure requirements within these broader strategies.

Under the terms of the Canada/Nova Scotia Gas-Tax Agreement, every municipality in the province is required to undertake an ICSP (Schedule 7 of Can/NS Agreement). In Nova Scotia, the ICSPs will build on and enhance existing planning instruments such as municipal planning strategies and land use by-laws.

ICSP Handbook

Service Nova Scotia & Municipal Relations has prepared a handbook to serve as a guide for Nova Scotia municipalities to facilitate the preparation of their ICSPs.  The purpose of this document is to help municipalities prepare plans that meet the municipal obligation under the Municipal Funding Agreement.  The handbook is divided into three parts:  General Background, ICSP Planning Framework and ICSP Templates. Download a copy of the
handbook (294 kB).

Gas Tax Agreement

The federal government has committed to transfer funds equivalent to a portion of the federal excise tax on gasoline to municipalities across Canada. The federal government and the province of Nova Scotia entered into an agreement in September 2005, which set out the terms and considerations of the agreement. Access information on the Gas-Tax Agreement.

Important ICSP Deadlines