Lack of flood buffers

Floods: Uninhibited speculators leave us at their mercy

The "Krone" asked around to find out what needs to happen now.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA)

Across the country, local emergency services are currently battling masses of water. The floods now show how urgently our soils need to be protected from speculators.

"Here in the Pielach Valley, we have been carefully looking after our ancestors' most precious assets for centuries - namely the mountain forests, meadows, alpine pastures and rivers," assures local "ecographer" and organic farmer Friedrich Hardegg from Lower Austria. Like all the other family farms, monasteries and farmers between Lake Neusiedl and Lake Constance, the eco-pioneer is a guardian of the land. Speculation is neither part of his thinking nor his actions.

Outside of this circle, however, precious land is unrestrainedly sold off for millions and sealed. The last reserves of arable land and fields are disappearing forever under asphalt. At the same time, tens of thousands of hectares of land are being lost that would serve as a flood buffer in the event of flooding.

The "Krone" asked around to find out what needs to happen now.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA)

Regional first steps in a greener direction
An environmental disaster that Krone readers are overwhelmingly calling on the next government to tackle as a matter of urgency. The politicians in charge are now well aware that this will also win them votes.

In spring, Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig presented an action plan together with the regional planning councillors of all nine provinces and the political representatives of the Association of Towns and Municipalities.

The centerpiece of this action plan: With the establishment of agricultural priority zones, the most fertile soils in a region are placed under protection - which makes a decisive contribution to the long-term preservation of food security. Restrictions on land-intensive building uses are also planned.

Demand for binding climate targets
Monitoring is also planned. For Greenpeace boss Alexander Egit, although this is a step in the right direction, it is still just an attempt to avoid concrete statutory targets and a strict upper limit of 2.5 hectares of land use per day.

According to conservationists, Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler also has a lot of green heart and soul, but little concrete to offer. "We have to limit land consumption to 2.5 hectares per day. And that is possible," she told the "Krone" in response to an inquiry.

Next government must deliver results
Whoever is soon in charge of the political destiny of the Republic, Egit's message is: "Something concrete must be put on the table quickly! A bold all-party resolution is the order of the day." Keyword: climate protection law with binding red-white-red targets. Even in the election manifestos of the parties, there are still serious differences when it comes to climate protection (see graphic).

In order to strengthen Austria's "voice", the spatial planning experts are also confronting politicians with an urgently needed and immediately implementable immediate program. The following is demanded:

• Protect prime agricultural land from development
• Bringingvacant properties into commercial use and thus stopping the death of town centers
• Inner development before outer development and building higher and deeper instead of wider
• Binding implementation of the soil protection strategy with a concrete target value for daily consumption that goes beyond declarations of intent
• Vacancy and second home taxes
• Promotion of unsealing

The current redevelopment of the A4 east highway shows how things actually look in the country. It has been decided that no fewer than 1100 (!) trees will be uprooted for Asfinag between the Prater junction in Vienna and Schwechat on the Lower Austrian side as early as November. The political responsibility for this lies with the Ministry of the Environment.