Bavarian mayors demand Söder promises: fight for the water cent divides municipalities
Created: 04/08/2022Updated: 04/08/2022 10:11 p.m
By: Thomas Eldersch
Markt Nordhalben's mayor, Michael Pöhnlein, is hoping for the water cent that Söder promised.
© Peter Kneffel/dpa/Screenshot/BR across
Not only the battle for gas, but also for water is currently being fought in Bavaria.
A good dozen mayors demand a so-called water cent.
Munich – The energy transition is high on the agenda of German and Bavarian politics.
Not only since the war in Ukraine and the resulting increase in gas, oil and coal prices has it been clear that alternatives must be found.
But another resource could also cause numerous conflicts and problems in the future: water.
The water supply in Germany and the Free State is still largely secured.
Nevertheless, the regions that provide the water for the rest of the country feel particularly disadvantaged.
Now some communities in Bavaria have joined forces to demand a so-called water cent.
So a compensation payment for providing the cool water.
But not everyone likes it.
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In the BR program "quer" supporters of the water cent talk about their demand
Michael Pöhnlein (Free Voters) has his say in the BR program “quer” from April 7th.
He is the mayor of Markt Nordhalben (Kronach district).
He has rallied twelve of his counterparts behind him and drafted his own bill.
His request to his party colleague and Environment Minister Thorsten Faithr (FW): His community also wants to survive.
"It can't be that others are benefiting, that others are opening up more and more new commercial areas and the number of inhabitants is increasing, and here in the region people are fighting for survival," he says in the "quer" interview.
The reason for the displeasure of the community leaders is the very strict rules regarding water protection areas.
Residential development nil.
Not even a business.
And the areas for water protection are constantly increasing.
Many communities find themselves surrounded by water protection areas.
So it's only fair if you get a levy of 20 cents per cubic meter of water as compensation from the citizen, it says at "quer".
At "quer" farmers talk about the horrendous costs of water protection areas
A colleague who feels hemmed in and has therefore joined the Pöhnlein ranks is the mayor of the municipality of Weyarn (Miesbach district), Leonhard Wöhr (CSU).
“We already have three water protection areas.
They have all become too small because the standards have increased,” he explains in the “quer” interview.
Water, a rare commodity, needs to be particularly well protected.
The heads of town hall receive support from agriculture.
Livestock farmer Alois Fuchs, for example, would like to expand his business, but "the requirements for the water protection area are so extremely high that it would cost hundreds of thousands more for the barn and that is absolutely not affordable for me." For him, a water be a start.
But the question of the fair distribution of money drives him much more.
Söder promised the water cent – not much has happened yet
According to "quer", there is already a fee comparable to the water cent in 13 of the 16 federal states.
And the Bavarian state boss Markus Söder (CSU) announced that tax in a government statement almost a year ago.
But not much seems to have happened so far.
At the request of the BR in the Ministry of the Environment, the only unsatisfactory answer was that the issue of water cents was still being examined.
Future potential payers, on the other hand, are not very enthusiastic about the additional water fee.
The mayor of the city of Bayreuth, Thomas Ebersberger (CSU), says: "So if you spend money on water, then it should possibly go in favor of nature, the environment and so on.
But, don't go there as a source of income for one or the other who happens to live somewhere along a watercourse.”
So you have to wait and see when and in what form a water cent will come.
Until then, however, the requirements for water protection areas are unlikely to be relaxed.
Which could lead to even more mayors and farmers flocking behind the Upper Franconian community leader from Nordhalben.
(phone)
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