Deisenried show tunnel is on the brink: costs triple

Created: 04/28/2022, 07:00

By: Christian Masengarb

Price has risen: The costs for the show gallery in Deisenried are likely to triple, according to estimates in Fischbachau.

However, the subsidy does not increase, which is why the project would become more expensive for the community.

© SteFan Schweihofer

The planned show mine in the former weather tunnel in Deisenried could be on the verge of collapse.

The reason is the costs: they should triple for Fischbachau.

Fischbachau - Fischbachau's managing director Johann Neundlinger gave enough reasons to continue pursuing the planned show mine in the former weather tunnel in Deisenried at the most recent meeting of the municipal council.

The Barbara Association put “4000 hours of voluntary work and a lot of passion” into the idea.

The community spent almost 50,000 euros on planning, and tourists need the tunnel as a bad weather offer.

A clear plea.

Neundlinger also admitted that there are arguments against the project.

As reported, Fischbachau has been following the show gallery at the suggestion of the Barbara Association headed by Martin Schmid for over 15 years.

After the South Bavaria Mining Authority approved the operating plan in June 2021, the community hoped for an opening in 2023 and put the safety work out to tender.

The problems Neundlinger raised began with the bids the municipality received in response to its tender.

Even the cheapest of them, at a cost of around 250,000 euros, almost doubled the around 130,000 euros that the municipality had set three years ago - i.e. before Corona and inflation - based on an actual offer.

That alone would be a significant increase in price.

Subsidies covered: increase in costs hits the municipalities

More decisive than inflation, however, are its implications for the rest of the project.

The municipality had estimated this at a total of around 670,000 euros.

The EU program Leader is providing 400,000 euros in funding, and Fischbachau is sharing the rest with the neighboring municipality of Bad Feilnbach, which is also involved.

According to the old calculation, total costs of around 135,000 euros per municipality remained.

The problem now: Because the Leader funds are capped at 400,000 euros, an increase in costs does not bring more funding at the same time.

This has a full impact on the communities.

Neundlinger clarified: If the costs of the overall project grow similarly to those of the security work, which seems likely, they will rise to 1.2 million euros.

Less 400,000 euros in Leader funding, 800,000 euros remained, which Fischbachau and Bad Feilnbach shared – ie 400,000 euros per municipality.

For Fischbachau, which pays for expensive mandatory tasks with the fire station, flood protection and school expansion as well as a swimming pool and funeral parlor, the price increase comes at an inopportune time.

The municipal councils have to decide: Can and should the town afford the exhibition gallery?

The decision must be made quickly.

Because the Leader funding is only valid until the end of 2024 and the offer for the safety work only until June 8th, the municipality has to tie down the further procedure in the next month and a half.

Bad Feilnbach decides on approval - and thus on the project

Neundlinger suggested arranging a meeting with the Bad Feilnbach colleagues as soon as possible, inviting the architect of the show tunnel and discussing the project so that the local councillors, who were not part of the committee during the planning phase, are also up to date on this decision.

Both bodies will then vote in their next meetings.

The Fischbachau municipal councils agreed with this proposal.

Korbinian Wolf (Greens) said that because the designs were good but the costs were "exorbitantly high," he wanted to discuss the project.

Andreas Estner (FWG) said that the municipality must consider how little it spends on cultural history.

You should not shy away from the cost.

Cultural officer Michael Gartmaier (CSU), who was unable to attend the meeting, advertised the project to our newspaper: He had been involved in it for 13 years and shoveled sand out of the tunnel himself.

Fischbachau should use the "unique opportunity" to implement the "lighthouse project".

Neundlinger also asked that the tunnel should not be stopped under any circumstances, "solely because of the signal effect on all volunteers".

Peter Rauffer and Thomas Kantenseder (both FaB) voted against the tunnel.

The latter said the benefits did not justify the old costs, let alone the new ones.

"I would have buried the idea years ago."

At today's meeting, the Bad Feilnbach municipal council will decide whether the planned meeting will take place.

If he votes against the project, it would be buried.

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