Salzburg commits 26 million euros to flood protection

Austria’s federal government, the state of Salzburg and local authorities have agreed to invest about 26 million euros in flood protection projects in three communities, ORF reported. The federal government will contribute nearly 15 million euros.

The largest project is in Hollersbach in the Oberpinzgau, where two flood-retention basins are planned on the right bank of the Salzach river. They will provide about 800,000 cubic metres of additional capacity. Further protection measures are planned along the left bank.

The Hollersbach project is expected to cost 15.4 million euros, including about 9.6 million euros from the federal government. Construction is scheduled to take three years, and preparations for the tender are expected to begin soon.

Another seven million euros is earmarked for flood protection along the Salzach in Weitwörth, in the Flachgau. In Seekirchen, also in the Flachgau, about 1.4 million euros will go towards repairing the flood-protection dam on the Fischach river.

The funding will also cover smaller protection measures, maintenance work and planning, including waterway development and risk-management plans for the Salzach and Saalach rivers. The agreement followed a meeting of the Water Management Commission in Vienna on Thursday. It comes after construction recently began on a new retention basin in Felbertal-Hintersee, in Mittersill, as part of flood-protection upgrades in the Oberpinzgau.