Illegal decision: Greifenburg's citizens win in the bypass dispute!

Illegal decision: Greifenburg's citizens win in the bypass dispute!

On October 29, 2025, the Carinthia State Administrative Court (LVwG) made an important decision that strengthens the rights of the citizens' initiative “Lebensraum Oberes Drautal” and the affected landowners. The court rulings emphasize that the previous refusal to have a say and inspect files was unlawful. This is particularly relevant in the context of a major project for an immediate connection to Greifenburg, which represents a bypass parallel to the railway.

The LVwG's decision ends a four-year legal dispute between residents and the state of Carinthia. In its ruling, the court highlighted the violation of the Aarhus Convention. This internationally valid agreement protects the participation rights of citizens in environmentally relevant decisions and affects a total of around 80 landowners and several agricultural communities.

Legal dispute and citizens' initiative

A central concern of the citizens' initiative and the landowners is the fight against the threat of expropriation and the concern about a possible worsening of the risk of flooding due to the planned route. According to Michael Dünhofen, spokesman for the initiative, the targeted start of construction in autumn 2025 is unrealistic. The reason: The necessary procedures for land redemption and expropriation as well as the water rights procedure have not yet been completed.

The dispute over the bypass began 16 years ago with an EIA-approved project that envisaged a significantly less invasive route. However, this was replaced by the expressway-like variant, which received the worst ratings in the EIA process. The citizens' initiative is therefore calling for additional immediate measures to increase road safety, such as a truck transit ban and the expansion of the 30 zone in the local area.

Participation in flood protection measures

The problem of flood protection is not only discussed in Greifenburg. The importance of involving the population is also increasingly emphasized in general flood and heavy rain prevention concepts. Citizens should be actively involved in the development of precautionary measures. Their experiences from past flood events are crucial for developing effective protection strategies.

Public workshops offer the opportunity to discuss prevention topics and make suggestions directly. Citizens can not only draw attention to problem areas, but also contribute their own ideas to improve flood protection. They are also responsible for private protective measures, such as flood insurance and structural precautions on their properties.

Those interested can register for flood workshops in the communities in order to make an active contribution to flood protection. Appropriate advice on private protective measures is also provided.

Overall, this case in Greifenburg shows how important it is to include the interests of residents in planning processes and to educate the population about both risks and preventative measures.

For further information on cultural attractions in other cities, as well as the role of citizens in protective measures, you can visit the websites of Visit Aarhus and [Flood Protection Concept](http://hochwasserschutz-konzept.de/ Beteiligung/).