Referendum

Wind power still has a chance in the Waldviertel in the future

Wind turbines - yes or no? This was voted on in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya

(Bild: P. Huber)

In the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya, five communities voted on new wind turbines on the Predigtstuhl and in the Hardwald and Radlbachwald forests. Only in two villages did a majority of residents vote against. 

The course for the future of wind power in the northernmost region of the country was set yesterday. In Waidhofen an der Thaya, Karlstein, Thaya, Groß Siegharts and Waidhofen an der Thaya - Land, more than 10,000 residents were called upon to vote on future wind turbines.

High turnout
The supporters prevailed in three of the five municipalities. The turnout was above the 60 percent mark in all locations. This means that the results of the public surveys in all five municipalities are binding. The mayors had announced this in the run-up to the votes.

Wind turbines on the Predigtstuhl and in the Hardwald forest
In the district capital, 51.77 percent voted in favor of wind turbines on the Predigtstuhl. Mayor Josef Ramharter now wants to address the concerns of those "who are not happy with the result". In Thaya, 60.56 percent were in favor of wind turbines in Hardwald, in Karlstein it was 58.57 percent. Head of the village Siegfried Walch: "Wind turbines will probably be part of our environment in the future."

Clear "no" with the highest turnout
The highest turnout of 85.85 percent was recorded in Waidhofen an der Thaya - Land. The citizens voted against wind turbines in the Radlbachwald forest with 54.49 percent. This was also the case in Groß Siegharts, where 51.16 percent of those taking part in the vote were against, with a turnout of 70.60 percent. Mayor Ulrich Achleitner sees the rejection of wind turbines as "an opportunity of the century lost".

Initial reaction
The first reaction from regional politics to the public consultation in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya came from Helga Krismer. The Green Party leader was delighted with the commitment to wind power in three of the five municipalities: "This was a victory for common sense with regard to the energy transition."