Znojmo in Czechia opposes wind farm construction in Austria's Mailberg

Znojmo opposes construction of a wind turbine in the Austrian town of Mailberg, 17 kilometres from the South Moravian city. It sent a letter to Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who, according to Znojmo Deputy Mayor Jiří Kacetl (Pro Znojmo), passed it on to the relevant deputy to respond. Znojmo considers the project an unacceptable intrusion into the landscape, and Kacetl told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) that the city would use every legal avenue to prevent this and other wind turbines from being built in the area.

Fifteen wind turbines, each 250 metres tall, are planned near the Austrian town, making them more than five times taller than the highest church towers. „The site where they are to be built is clearly visible from Znojmo Castle, the rotunda and Hradiště,“ Mayor František Koudela (ODS) said. Znojmo argues that tourism, which employs a large share of the local population, is a key part of the Znojmo region’s economy. The Austrian investor would transform the landscape near Znojmo into an industrial wind farm visible from far away, which could deter tourists.

Kacetl said the planned turbines were enormous structures, as those built in the past were less than half as tall. Znojmo’s leadership is acting on the basis of a study approved by city councillors in 2010. It was described as preventive and responded to plans at the time along the Czech-Austrian border. An authorised architect assessed the landscape from Vratěnín to Hrušovany and divided the area into four zones. While turbine construction is prohibited in the first protection zone, it is permitted in the fourth. „I have instructed the environment department to have the study updated,“ Kacetl said.

The wind farm project in Mailberg is already going through the planning process in Austria. A closed hearing will take place in St. Pölten on 6 November, and Kacetl wants to attend. He said it was difficult to predict whether the proceedings would be suspended. Some local civic groups also oppose the project, he said. The environment ministry has yet to answer whether an international environmental impact assessment should or should have been carried out. The city leadership has invited Governor Mikl-Leitner to Znojmo to explain its position and reasons, and also wants to become a party to the administrative proceedings.

Kacetl said investors’ efforts had resumed after roughly 15 years. At the time, it was possible to prevent some projects on both sides of the border. In the case of Chvalovice, the court ruled against the project on several occasions, siding with its opponents, then represented by the Znojmo Beautification Association, of which Kacetl is a member. International cooperation also helped prevent a wind farm from being built near the border at Hardegg ten years ago. The project was cancelled by the Lower Austrian provincial government. „Now, however, investors are coming forward with new plans, and some mayors of municipalities on the Czech side of the border along the Dyje downstream of Znojmo also want wind turbines. The mayor of Dyjákovice (Josef Gajdošík) came to see me today and asked why we were interfering when the project was not on our territory and local people wanted it. I understand that municipalities get money from it. But we inherited the landscape from our ancestors, and it is not our place to degrade it like this. I understand that the positions are irreconcilable and that a compromise may not be possible. But we will fight the turbines as far as the law allows us,“ Kacetl said.

Wind turbines are also being discussed in Dyjákovičky, Strachotice, Hrabětice and Hevlín, as well as in Blížkovice, north of Znojmo. „I think many people in these municipalities cannot imagine what it would look like once the turbines are built. We will prepare visualisations so people can picture it,“ Kacetl said. Five turbines from the previous investment wave are already standing in Břežany, along with one in the cadastral area of Bantice.