Hannersdorf launches €4.1 million flood protection project

Hannersdorf is launching a €4.1 million flood protection project, two and a half years after severe flooding hit the municipality in southern Burgenland. ORF reported that the work will include new and raised dams along the Pinka river and its tributaries.

Flood defences are also planned at key points in Burg. The dam there will be raised, and a wall will be built along the mill, Mayor Gerhard Klepits said.

The project also includes ecological measures, including fish passes. The Erlbach stream at the Burg bathing lake will be rerouted into a deeper channel that winds through the landscape. Trees will also be planted to create small temperature and climate zones, said Wolfgang Heckenast, head of the state’s water and climate department.

Land purchases proved difficult, but the permitting process was completed quickly, state councillor Heinrich Dorner said at the groundbreaking ceremony. Monika Mörth, a section head at the Agriculture Ministry, described the plans as a model project combining flood protection, water ecology and recreation.

The federal government will cover about half of the €4.1 million cost, with the state and municipality paying the rest. Construction is expected to be largely complete in 2027.