First Land Management Agency in Austria founded

On the occasion of the foundation of the first land management agency in Austria a public “Kick-Off Event” took place on the “Energyboat Mochart” in Köflach (Styria) on 8th November 2012.

The formation of the land management agency is a result of the 2011 workshop “Future Land Use in the Region Voitsberg” which was held in the frame of the EU-Project „Circular Flow Land Use Management“ (CircUse). Various actors from the region have participated in the workshop. The joint land management agency consists of the municipalities in Baernbach, Koeflach, Maria Lankowitz, Rosental an der Kainach and Voitsberg.

A wide range of land management aspects were presented and discussed during the “Kick-Off Event” in expert speeches, panel discussion and a workshop. Interest groups, amongst other citizens, were presented an interesting and manifold information program. Objectives of land management in the federal state of Styria, challenges in the core area Voitsberg as well as the structure and responsibilities of the new land management agency were presented. Positions were discussed at the panel discussion “land management – need for action – challenges” whereas all members have underlined the need of a sustainable land management with the aim to minimise land consumption.

In the workshop “land innovations” the participants worked to issues like demographic change, participation, role of public and private actors as well as questions to the sustainable development of the region. In total 70 persons participated in the “Kick-Off Event”, participants were among others Mr. Petinger as member of the Parliament of Styria. The event was realised in the frame of the CircUse project whereas the partners of the Environment Agency Austria and Telepark Baernbach Corporation ltd. hosted the guests.

Main objective of the first Austrian land management agency is the support of the five municipalities of the core region Voitsberg in activities to reuse brownfields – former industrial/commercial and mining areas – in a sustainable and environmental friendly way. Herewith is the principle of circular flow land use management the central systematically and prior strategy to identify and use land potentials. Underused areas like gaps or brownfields are in the focus – inner development obtain priority compared to suburban or greenfield developments.

The municipalities in the LEADER-Region „Lipizzanerheimat“ have development potentials available in terms of former coal mining areas, closed brick and glass factories which have leaved land and production facilities which are not in use anymore. In the region are furthermore former smaller production companies and workman's dwellings that are not use. All this areas should be developed under the – in the last years new developed – regional approach to development named „Lipizzanerheimat“ including solutions for sustainable energy production.

It is planned that the land management agency – after a start-up phase which is financed supported by the EU-project – will generate the needed financial resources for the predominant part themselves. For the start-up phase financial support is also given by the five municipalities. Member of the land management agency are the municipalities Baernbach, Koeflach, Maria Lankowitz, Rosental an der Kainach und Voitsberg.

The project is implemented through the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme co-financed by the ERDF. The pro-gramme is funded by the Central European Program of European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation.

More Information:

CircUse webpage
www.circuse.eu
Link to the “Kick-Off Event”
http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/umweltsituation/boden/boden_termine/neuechancen_112012/
Contact
German Institute for Urban Affairs, Zimmerstraße 13-15, 10969 Berlin, Germany
Maic Verbücheln
phone: +49 30 39001-263
e-mail: verbuecheln@difu.de