News release

Nova Scotia Budget 2022-23 Invests in Central Nova Scotia

Finance and Treasury Board

Providing solutions to Nova Scotia’s most pressing challenges, including fixing healthcare, strategically growing the population and economy and investing in supports for Nova Scotia families and communities will benefit Central Nova Scotia.

Today, March 29, Finance and Treasury Board Minister Allan MacMaster tabled Budget 2022-23: Solutions for Healthcare, Solutions for Nova Scotians.

“At its core, Budget 2022-23 is about people. It invests thoughtfully in the areas Nova Scotians care about most, while also planning for the needs of a province that is growing,” said Minister MacMaster.

With revenues of $12.7 billion and consolidated expenses of $13.2 billion, Budget 2022-23 estimates a deficit of $506.2 million. Spending in healthcare is estimated at $5.7 billion, an increase of $413.4 million from last year.

Highlights of 2022-23 investments that will benefit Central Nova Scotia include:

  • continued funding for the QEII New Generation project
  • new funding to enable 2,500 more surgeries, expand operating room hours and add 28 beds and staffing at Dartmouth General Hospital
  • funding to address surgery backlogs due to COVID-19 at IWK Health Centre
  • funding for more cataract surgeries
  • funding to open the province’s first mental health acute day hospital at the QEII Health Sciences Centre
  • new funding to make virtual care available to everyone on the Need a Family Practice Registry and expand the kind of care available through virtual care
  • 26 new nursing seats at Dalhousie University
  • funding to support the work of the joint planning task force on housing in Halifax Regional Municipality
  • capital funding for planning, design and construction of new Nova Scotia Community College residences, including at the Akerley and Ivany campuses, to address local housing issues
  • funding to continue the new Healthy Schools Grant for all public schools
  • introduction of the More Opportunities for Skilled Trades program, which, starting in the 2022 tax year, will return provincial personal income tax paid on the first $50,000 of earnings for eligible people under the age of 30
  • continued funding for the Highway 102 Aerotech Connector and Highway 107 Sackville-Bedford-Burnside Connector.

Quick Facts:

  • Budget 2022-23 contains $1.6 billion for capital projects, the largest single-year capital investment in the province’s history
  • the Capital Plan includes generational projects like the QEII New Generation and CBRM Healthcare Redevelopment projects and highway twinning
  • the budget also contains the final forecast for 2021-22, which updates the surplus to $107.7 million
  • additional appropriations related to the forecast, totalling $304.7 million, are required by seven departments and offices since the December forecast

Additional Resources:

To view the budget documents, visit: https://novascotia.ca/budget

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