After Doskozil's advance

Gols hospital: Further debate about location

A citizens' initiative is fighting against the planned site.(Bild: Charlotte Titz)

Governor Hans Peter Doskozil has announced the acceleration of hospital construction. Opponents of the site are outraged. Instead, they are calling for alternatives. 

Strong criticism comes from the citizens' initiative (BI) "Yes to the hospital - No to building on the Golser Wiesäcker", which is fighting against the project together with the NGO Pro Thayatal. "If this approach sets a precedent, NGOs and citizens will soon no longer have any rights," they say.

"Negotiations are to be prevented"
Doskozil wants to use the amendment to the law to prevent the right to a hearing before the provincial administrative court due to the appeal against the rezoning decision. "Although we are entitled to this right through the appeal to the Administrative Court," it says. The state had bought the land without having a dedication. The site would, however, be located in a UNESCO sighting zone, directly next to the UNESCO buffer zone, in the Natura 2000 area and only 400 meters away from the Zitzmannsdorfer Wiese National Park conservation zone. It is also emphasized that Pro Thayatal is a supra-regional NGO, without whose help one would have no say.

Wiesäcker in Gols: The new hospital for the district of Neusiedl is to be built here(Bild: Charlotte Titz)

As reported, the Greens are also demanding a different location for the hospital. To emphasize this, they are submitting an urgent motion to the provincial parliament on Thursday. They are calling for the warning that the World Heritage status will be revoked to be taken seriously and for another location to be found that is already integrated into a settlement structure. "The provincial government, and in particular the governor, are risking the loss of UNESCO World Heritage status by stubbornly going it alone and ignoring all warnings," explains Regina Petrik, head of the parliamentary group.

Non-party mandatary criticizes the Greens
Géza Molnár, a non-party mandatary, supports the amendment to the law announced by Doskozil: "The Greens will also have to learn that not everything that goes against the grain is not democracy." To speak of autocratic methods is "typical Petrikian mentality, fortunately democratically degradable, but clearly to be rejected". Nature conservation will therefore not be neglected. Molnár also doubts that the World Heritage status is in danger.

Criticism of Petrik also came from SPÖ party leader Roland Fürst: "She would obviously rather side with a Lower Austrian environmental organization than with the people of Burgenland." That is telling.