Fundy Rural District

Rural Plan

What is a Rural Plan?

A Rural Plan guides how land is used and developed, based on the needs, values, and priorities of the community. It supports healthy, well-managed growth and protects important natural resources. Most importantly, a Rural Plan can be a great tool to preserve the rural way of life and quality of life that residents value.

Community input is a key part of creating a rural plan to ensure it reflects what matters most to residents.

Once a Rural Plan is in place, it isn’t set in stone. It can be updated through a formal process to reflect changing community needs and priorities. At a minimum, the plan will be reviewed every 10 years, with opportunities for residents to provide input during those reviews or whenever changes are considered.

Why is a rural plan important?

A Rural Plan gives residents the opportunity to help shape how their community grows and develops over time. It helps make sure growth happens in a way that fits the community’s needs, values, and priorities.

Having a Rural Plan helps to:

  • Encourage the right kinds of development and prevent things that don’t fit the community

  • Protect natural resources like water, forests, and farmland

  • Preserve the rural character and quality of life that residents value

  • Avoid conflicts by making sure different land uses work well together

Without a Rural Plan, communities have less control over what gets built and where. This can lead to development that doesn’t fit the area or land uses that cause problems for neighbours. For example, without a plan, things like pits and quarries or industrial uses could be built too close to homes or other sensitive areas.

The Province of New Brunswick requires that every community has a plan in place by 2028. These plans also include policies on important topics like climate change, housing, protection of water supplies, and more — helping communities plan for a healthy future.

What’s happening now?

Work on a Rural Plan for the entire Fundy Rural District is underway. Updates will be posted on this webpage as the process moves forward, and there will be opportunities for residents to get involved and have their say.

Residents will be able to:

  • Share ideas and feedback on what the Rural Plan should include

  • Attend public meetings to learn more and ask questions

  • Provide written or verbal comments on the proposed content of the plan


Updates will be posted here as the work moves forward.

Have questions or want to get involved?

Contact our planning staff at planning@fundyregion.ca or 506-738-2014.

Process

A Working Group of local representatives has been brought together to help guide the development of the Rural Plan. Their role is to provide local knowledge, advice, and help ensure the entire community is engaged throughout the process.

The Working Group includes members of the Rural District Advisory Committee (RDAC), the Planning Review and Adjustment Committee (PRAC), and other local residents from across the district. The composition of the group includes:

  • Gina Sweet and Ray Riddell from RDAC;

  • Rob Jeffrey and Cindy MacCready from PRAC; and

  • Samara Carvell and Lawrence Booker, local residents of the Fundy Rural District.

 The following steps will guide the development of the Rural Plan

Please note these are general steps and may be modified once the Working Group has finalized the Consultation Strategy.


Pre-Work

☑ We are currently here

  1. Prepare background work, including an inventory of how land is currently being used in the Rural District.

  2. Establish a Rural Plan Working Group to provide guidance in the development of the Rural Plan​.

  3. Develop Consultation Strategy with Rural Plan Working Group.

Number one


Engagement & Drafting

  1. Carry out the Consultation Strategy to gather community input before drafting the Rural Plan. Engagement methods may include open houses, surveys, and mail-outs (to be determined).

  2. Prepare the first draft of the Rural Plan using community feedback.

  3. Share the draft Rural Plan for public review and feedback (to be shared on this webpage).​

Number two


plan finalization

  1. Seek input from the Planning Review and Adjustment Committee and ​the Rural District Advisory Committee.

  2. Host at least one formal public meeting to present the Draft Rural Plan, answer questions, and listen to community feedback.

  3. Finalize the draft plan based on all feedback received and submit it to the Minister of the Environment and Local Government for consideration.​

components of a rural plan:

Vision and Objectives

  1. The goals and vision for a community and how it would like to see itself in the future.

  2. The effect the community wants the Rural Plan to have.                    

Policies and Proposals

  1. Policies state what the community wants to do under different categories and guides land use planning decisions.

  2. Proposals offer insight into potential actions or projects that may make the Policy a reality.

General and Zoning Provisions

  1. General terms and conditions that apply to all zones.

  2. Zoning provisions apply to specific zones of a Rural District and can include permitted uses and other provisions.

  • No, community engagement will be undertaken first to understand the needs of the broader community before the plan is written.  

  • No, there are already two Rural Plans in effect in parts of the Fundy Rural District:

    • Rothesay Parish Rural Plan Regulation (Upper Loch Lomond, Hunter Lake) - 2011, and

    • Simonds Parish Rural Plan Regulation (Mispec, Cape Spencer) - 2000. 

  • A Rural Plan doesn’t automatically stop land uses that were already happening before the plan started. The plan will generally aim to reflect how residents currently use their property.

    Also, the Rural Plan cannot override existing provincial laws or regulations.

  • Through the Municipal Reform Process in 2023, Rural Districts were created across New Brunswick from former Local Service Districts.

    The Fundy Rural District is comprised of the former Local Service Districts of Petersville, Greenwich, and Rothesay; and portions of Westfield, Kingston, Norton, Saint Martins, and Simonds. There is one Rural District in each of New Brunswick's 12 regions.

    The Fundy Rural District is represented by an advisory committee which advises the Minister of Environment and Local Government on local matters. More information on the creation of Rural Districts can be found here.

  • No. A Rural Plan for a Rural District is a Ministerial Regulation under the Community Planning Act. On the other hand, by-laws are created by local governments.

    Ministerial Regulations allow areas without local government councils to have land use plans in place.

Common Questions about the Rural Plan

(Click on a question to view the answer)

is your property in the Fundy Rural District?

The Fundy Rural District is highlighted in green. Use the search tool on the interactive map below to find out.