With the "Baba, Beton!" competition, Burgenland is sending out a strong signal against soil sealing. Deputy Governor Anja Haider-Wallner has given the starting signal for the first unsealing competition for Burgenland municipalities. From September, all 171 municipalities are invited to submit their projects for unsealing public areas. The winning project will receive funding of up to 100,000 euros and is to be implemented as early as spring 2026.

 

Two soccer pitches sealed every day

The urgency is obvious: In Burgenland, around 1.6 hectares of land are converted into settlement or traffic areas every day - the equivalent of around two soccer pitches. Per capita land use is almost twice as high as the Austrian average. While there are no binding soil protection targets at federal level, Burgenland is now taking its first concrete measures.

The effects of unchecked soil consumption are serious: sealed surfaces increase the risk of flooding, contribute to the formation of heat islands and jeopardize food security in the long term as arable land is lost. "Every unsealed area improves water infiltration, cools the environment and improves the quality of life," emphasizes Haider-Wallner.

 

Competition for specific projects

Funding is available for planned unsealing measures on municipal land - for example in village centers, in front of public buildings, on parking lots or traffic islands. Submissions can be made until November and the selection will be made by a jury of experts from the fields of soil protection, landscape planning, biodiversity and nature conservation. Among other things, the ecological benefits, the location in the municipal area and the involvement of the local population will be assessed.

With the competition, the state not only wants to create incentives for specific projects, but also raise awareness of the value of soil as a basis for life. "Many municipalities have good ideas, but often lack the financial means. This is exactly where we come in," says Haider-Wallner.

 

Part of a comprehensive soil protection plan

"Baba, Beton!" is part of the "Future Plan Burgenland 2030", with which the state aims to establish long-term soil protection measures. These include an unsealing premium, a vacancy database and the examination of a levy on unused commercial properties. A separate department will be set up at the provincial government office to implement the plan.

As part of her summer tour, Haider-Wallner will be visiting all districts of Burgenland under the motto "Best of Soil". The focus is on existing unsealing projects, renaturation and organic farms - as role models for the sustainable use of soil.

 

More information: https://www.burgenland.at/

Image source: Landesmedienservice Burgenland