political โขFigures Criticized for Geographic Misinformation Regarding Lobauโข Tunnel Project
Vienna, Austria – Environmental association VIRUS hasโ sharply criticizedโค Transport โคMinister Leonore Hanke and Freedom Party (FPร) leader Herbert Kickl, alongโค with FPรโ parliamentarian Martin Graf, for demonstrably inaccurate statements regarding teh Lobau area and the proposed Lobau Tunnel project. The organizationโข alleges a fundamental misunderstanding of the area’s geography โand protected status.
The controversy stems from recent public statements made by Hanke and Kickl. In an โฃOctober 27th interview with OE24-TV, Minister Hanke stated the tunnel project concerns the “northern โฃLobau, not theโข southernโข area, which is protected.” Kickl, on โOctober 23rd, posted on Facebook, claiming the northern Lobau is aโข “designated industrial area,” a claim echoed by โparliamentarian Graf during a specialโค parliamentary session on Octoberโฃ 22nd. Graf โขfurther confused the issue โฃby misidentifying landmarks and riverbanks,and denyingโข the presence of a nature reserve in the โtunnel’s planned construction โขzone.โค Heโค specifically referred to the โฃFreudenau power plant as being in โthe Lobau, and incorrectly describedโ the location of a major inland โฃport.
VIRUSโ spokesperson Wolfgang โRehm refuted these claims, stating, “The entire Lobau,โ with the exception of a relatively small tank farm โขand associated loading port, is part โคofโข the Donauauenโ National Parkโฃ andโฃ not anโค industrial area.” Rehm further clarified the area’s โgeography,โฃ pointing out the Danube โflowsโ from west to east in vienna, โcreating an โUpper and โคLower Lobau, withโฃ theโค tunnel project โฃslated to cross the Upper Lobau. He emphasized the tank farm is located in the south of theโค Upper โฃLobau, not the north.
Rehm โalso highlighted the historical context of โฃtheโ Lobau, noting past attempts to industrialize the โขarea, thwarted by the end of World War โII and laterโฃ initiatives in theโ 1970s. He โexpressed frustration at the repeated inaccuracies, stating, “If you don’tโ want to live in the past, then you could โknow about it.”
VIRUS questions โwhether Hanke’s statements were influencedโค by the FPร’sโ narrative. Rehm concluded,”A federal minister should โคin โฃany case beโค expected to have at least an โคidea ofโ โโwhat he is talkingโ about and โnot to spread false information.”
Source: OTS Original Text Press Release – VIRUS. (www.ots.at)
