Lower Austria: State Parliament Hall Experiences Preliminary Last Session

With the last session in the Lower Austrian state parliament hall in St. Pölten before the start of the renovation work, the parties will bid farewell to the Christmas break on Thursday. From January, sessions will be held in the temporary quarters in the Leopoldsaal in the Landhaus. Concluding the agenda in the premises used since May 1997 are a motion on the topic of guest patients and an amendment to the hunting law. The report of the Corona evaluation commission will also be presented.

Key points of the renovation project in the state parliament hall include the creation of accessibility as well as technical and thermal renovation. Construction will start in January, with the expected completion planned for summer 2027. The cost framework is 11.2 million euros. Last year, the design by architect Gunther Palme was chosen as the winning project for the design by an eleven-member jury. It includes, among other things, a rotation of the color scheme, which will then be held in sand and gray tones, by 180 degrees.

Start with Guest Patient Motion

The last session in the "old" state parliament hall will start with a guest patient motion submitted by the ÖVP and FPÖ. The state government is requested to approach the city of Vienna and ensure that people in hospitals in the federal capital are "provided with the best possible care according to the corresponding medical urgency, regardless of their state of origin." It also concerns the adherence to the rules agreed upon in the financial equalization by Vienna. Furthermore, the federal government should also be urged to demand compliance with the Hospital and Sanatorium Act from Vienna.

ÖVP club chairman Kurt Hackl emphasized on Tuesday: "Lower Austrian patients must not be turned away in Vienna! This assessment is also supported by a legal opinion, such an approach is unconstitutional and against the basic law." In Lower Austria, "many cases from neighboring Upper Austria, Styria, or Burgenland are treated when necessary," Hackl stated in a press release. "Not the registration form, but the presentation of the e-card should decide on treatment."

The SPÖ continues to push for a joint Eastern health region on the subject, emphasized club chairman Hannes Weninger in a press release. He sees the ÖVP and FPÖ in the state "urged to quickly work on real reforms and agree on a sensible solution with Vienna." The Greens signaled approval for the state parliament motion at a press conference. There needs to be nationwide regulation and responsibility to avoid "federal bickering," said club chairwoman and state spokeswoman Helga Krismer.

Hunting Law and Commission Report

A change to the hunting law will be decided on Thursday, aiming to simplify the criteria for wolf culling. This will affect cases of wolves approaching settlements or attacking properly protected livestock. Scaring and driving away wolves will generally be allowed without prerequisites in the future. "We are fully utilizing the new leeway we have received from Brussels for this. We have been demanding this relaxation for many years," stated ÖVP club chairman Hackl regarding the amendment. There will be no approval from the Greens. There are "many structural problems in agriculture," but one cannot "make a species a scapegoat," emphasized Krismer.

The report of the Corona Evaluation Commission is also being presented. According to the report, 92 percent of the 4.6 million euros paid out from the available sum of 31.3 million euros went to people with mental and emotional impairments, long-Covid sufferers, and people with vaccine-related impairments. "With the presentation of the report, Lower Austria is setting a clear signal for transparency, responsibility, and willingness to learn. The goal is to draw concrete lessons from past mistakes to better, more fairly, and factually manage future crises," summarized FPÖ regional councilor Martin Antauer according to a press release.

SPÖ club leader Weninger sees it positively that now "a line can be drawn under this tiresome topic." "Such reports only make sense if lessons for the future are drawn from the experiences and the protection of the population from the consequences of such pandemics is the focus."

Administrative Staff and Soil Protection

The NEOS will advocate for a reduction in administrative staff on Thursday. Similar to the federal level, only every second retired civil servant should be replaced in the future. By 2030, more than 100 million euros could be saved, calculated the Pink party in a press release. "At the same time, measures must be taken to make this area more efficient for citizens," said NEOS state party chairwoman Indra Collini. For targeted relief of municipalities, the Pink party also demands the establishment of a working group in the state. "This group should develop concrete proposals by summer on how municipal cooperation can be expanded, duplications reduced, and administrative structures made more efficient," it was noted. Incentives for municipal associations and administrative mergers should also be examined.

The Greens will submit a motion for more soil protection. New constructions of supermarkets should generally only be possible in core building land areas, and outside only with dual use as a multi-story building. For parking spaces, dual use - overbuilding or photovoltaics - is also required. A vacancy tax and a "serious incentive program" for local supply are also necessary, emphasized state spokeswoman Krismer. The ÖVP stated: "Shopping centers can only be built in central zones in Lower Austria anyway, and parking spaces are reduced to a minimum. 3,000 of them have already been covered with photovoltaics."

(APA/Red)

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