Community fights back

Storage facility for e-cars in Mürztal: resistance is growing

The camp is to be built on an area of around three hectares on the former sawmill site.(Bild: Friedrich Graf-Götz)

The planned storage site for up to 1200 e-cars in the small Styrian municipality of Neuberg an der Mürz continues to stir up opposition. Now the local council has also decided to raise an objection if no EIA is carried out. 

Up to 1200 e-cars are to be temporarily stored in Neuberg an der Mürz. Ever since the "Krone" newspaper made the Vietnamese manufacturer Vinfast's plans public in October, the remote community in the north-east of Styria has been in a frenzy.

A citizens' committee of critical residents quickly formed, fearing that the temporary storage facility and the transportation of the vehicles to and from the site would - in a nutshell - worsen the quality of life in the nature park region.

Now, at its most recent meeting, the local council has also unanimously decided to lodge an appeal if the project's EIA obligation is rejected. It is currently the turn of the state's nature conservation department (A13). "This is of course a great support for us, as we as a committee would have no legal recourse to appeal a negative decision," says spokesperson Friedrich Graf-Götz.