Haimbuchner aide appointed to lead LAWOG

Roland Dietrich, chief of staff to Upper Austria Deputy Governor Manfred Haimbuchner, has been appointed chairman of LAWOG, the state-owned housing company, ORF reports. He will take up the post on 1 July 2027.

LAWOG’s general assembly approved the appointment on Monday. The company said Dietrich would work with board director Christoph Khinast to shape its future development. Khinast’s contract was extended by five years. Dietrich will succeed Frank Schneider, who is retiring. The Oberösterreichische Nachrichten newspaper reported that 41 people applied for the position.

LAWOG said Dietrich impressed the selection panel with his professional expertise and knowledge of non-profit housing, subsidies and the relevant legal framework. The appointment drew criticism from the Greens. Housing spokesperson Ines Vukajlovic said the decision had been pushed through despite criticism and concerns, leaving a “bitter aftertaste”.

The appointment comes weeks after political controversy over apartment sales by OGW, now LAWOG. Reports said apartments in a Linz residential building had been sold to people with links to political parties, particularly the Freedom Party and the People’s Party. The Social Democrats, Greens and NEOS called for a full investigation and access to allocation and subsidy records. Haimbuchner’s office firmly rejected the allegations.

In an ORF Upper Austria interview in early September, Haimbuchner said he would not accept what he called a “smear campaign” and announced legal action over reports by the newspaper Der Standard. He described an ongoing review by an auditing association as a signal of transparency and said the public would be told whether the process had been conducted properly. On Tuesday, NEOS Upper Austria called for a parliamentary commission of inquiry following another Der Standard report. Haimbuchner again rejected the allegations and referred to the legal action.