Greens fume

Thick air after criticism of the town’s climate manager

The municipal supervisory authority took a close look at Gmunden and scrutinized the climate strategy.

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

The Greens have no sympathy for the recently published criticism of the climate manager for Gmunden, who is paid from public funds. Provincial councillor Stefan Kaineder considers the report to be completely absurd, as climate protection in municipalities should not be called into question. 

Gmunden has had its own climate coordinator for one and a half years, who is responsible for implementing the Traunsee town's climate strategy, which was adopted in 2022.

Not a core task of the municipality
Auditors from the district authority are now questioning her financing from public funds. "Climate protection is not a core task of the municipality, which is why the use of funds is not justified," they state in a nutshell in the latest audit.

"This criticism is completely absurd. If this approach on the part of the municipal supervisory authority sets a precedent, the implementation of the state's climate and energy strategy will also be completely called into question, and that must not be the case," fumed Stefan Kaineder from the Green Party.

It baffles me that climate protection in municipalities is called into question in the financial audit of the municipality of Gmunden.

Stefan Kaineder, Grünen-Landesrat

In his opinion, it should be questioned in this context how the municipal supervisory authority's approach to the financial audit fits in with the province's own climate and energy strategy. "There is an urgent need for clarification from those politically responsible." Specifically, this would be the municipal supervisory officer and Deputy Provincial Governor Manfred Haimbuchner (FP) and the Provincial Governor and Finance Officer Thomas Stelzer (VP).

FP considers Green anger to be misplaced
In response to an inquiry from the "Krone", Haimbuchner's office stated the following: "The criticism from Provincial Councillor Kaineder is incomprehensible. The audit report merely points out that the competence lies with the state and not with the municipality. However, this is certainly not a criticism of climate protection."

For Governor Stelzer, there is no question that climate and environmental protection have the highest priority, which is why the province has implemented or initiated a wide range of measures. "Climate and environmental protection naturally also takes place at various levels," said Stelzer.