Brinek: Local community breaks promise to install noise protection measures

Local community breaks promise to install noise protection measures

ORF-Series "Bürgeranwalt" (“Advocate for People) – Broadcast of October 17th, 2009

The Weinzettl family lives in Eichgraben close to the “Westbahn” railway system that connects Vienna with the west of the country. Around 340 trains a day pass their house causing a constant level of noise. The family only decided to buy the house in 2005 because they had been informed that noise protection measures had been planned for this area. An agreement among the Federal State, the Province and the municipality was concluded in 2006 and included plans for noise control measures beginning in 2008. In the coming years the Weinzettls invested thousands of Euros in their new home. The family was completely taken by surprise when the community changed its mind in 2008 and decided not to install noise protection measures in that area at all. For Ombudswoman Gertrude Brinek withdrawing from this contract constitutes a clear breach of trust by the community. She called on local authorities to support the family with compensatory measures such as additional financial support and technical know-how. On this occasion Brinek pointed out positively that the Austrian railways ÖBB had reacted promptly and tried to ameliorate the living conditions of the family with specific technical measures.

Followup: Light reflections caused by a building are unacceptable and need to be avoided

For the second time, the ORF reported on the impact of building light reflections on the neighbourhood. The facade of a newly constructed property in Vienna’s Laxenburgerstraße largely consists of a mirror-like surface. This leads to strong light reflections, even on days with an average lightness and massively diminishes the quality of life for the people living in the flats opposite of the new building. This effect is further enhanced by the highly reflective metal roof and shutters. In a previous broadcast Ombudswoman Brinek had criticised that no technical expert opinions had been requested during the approval procedure by the authorities. When the opinion was finally available it clearly indicated that legal limits for light reflections had been massively violated. Ombudswoman Brinek welcomes that the municipal authority MA 37 now finally issued a correct decision in which the property owner had been asked to resolve that problem immediately.