Collini calls for plan to manage water withdrawals during drought

NEOS leader in Lower Austria Indra Collini has called for a plan covering non-potable water use as drought continues. She also defended her party’s participation in the federal government and urged comprehensive administrative reform in an interview with ORF, the broadcaster reported.

Collini said the drought would not simply be over by next summer. Seeing the damage to nature while travelling through Lower Austria was heartbreaking, she said, adding that more money alone could not replace the lack of rain.

She called for a non-potable water plan to identify major water withdrawals and reserves, and to clarify how treated water could be used for irrigation in future.

In the current ORF Lower Austria poll, five percent of respondents said they would vote for NEOS if a state election were held on Sunday. Three percent believed the party could solve the state’s most important problems. Collini responded: “Polls are polls, elections are elections.”

She described NEOS’s participation in the federal government as an opportunity, pointing to a planned reduction in non-wage labour costs and reforms in education.

On federalism and administration, Collini called for reforms without wanting to abolish the states or regions. The key issue was that public administration should work quickly, efficiently and close to citizens, she said, rather than how many political levels or positions existed. “If necessary, I will abolish myself too,” she said.

Collini also identified potential savings in party funding, saying that almost 50 million euros flowed to parties at state and municipal level in Lower Austria.

Addressing internal criticism and the expulsion of NEOS co-founder Veit Dengler, Collini said there should never be such a discussion. However, breaches of trust or failures to follow agreed rules had consequences, as they would in any company or association, she said.

She rejected criticism of party leader and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, saying Meinl-Reisinger had led NEOS to success. The comments from “the gentlemen” were “quite unnecessary”, Collini said.