Mediation about a golf course in Telfs (Mediation Telfser Grüngürtel)

Best Practice

Topics

• New forms of decision-making
• Regional value added, Protected areas

Short description

The plan to build a golf course in Telfs has always be seen very critically and led to a public opinion poll in May 2002: the golf project was refused by the residents. The municipal council of Telfs decided to start a mediation procedure to eliminate this conflict and to discuss the development of the western part of the recreation area in Telfs.

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Project executive

Municipality of Telfs

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Participants

representatives of all political parties in Telfs, representative of the citizens' initiative, representatives of the authorities for agriculture and forestry, family, social issues and youth, gastronomy and tourism, economy, golf course operator, transport planners, land use planners, advocate for nature and environment of the provincial government of Tyrol, authorities of Telfs

Objectives

The mediation procedure aims at gaining a consensus about the future development of the recreation area in the western part of Telfs and to arrange competing claims for utilisation and protection.

Activities

(1) preparation (2) collection of ideas and issues (3) clarification of interests and needs (4) creative search for ideas (5) appraisal of results and selection of options (6) agreement (7) implementation

Process

The mediation process took the time of one year. There were 14 meetings and one one-day meeting in conclave. There were 20 participants. 19 experts were available during the procedure.

Results

improvement of communication within the community // clarification about important parameters of the future development of the area // investor's decision of cancelling the project. The question of acceptance could not have been solved so the investor decided not to pursue with the golf project.

Evaluation

The project was evaluated after one year.

Difficulties

There is no information about difficulties.

Budget

no information (Euro)

Financial backer

Municipality of Telfs

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.anton-huetter.com, http://www.partizipation.at

Publication

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Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

Due to the persistance of the recreation area Zimmerberg in Telfs, the impact on nature and environment cannot be quantified directly. The Zimmerberg is not a high grade natural area but has prime importance for residents.

Economic value added

Due to economical aspects and mandates the owner of the real estate Österreichische Bundesforste AG (Austrian National Forestry Inc.) regrets the results of the mediation process. A golf course in Telfs could have possibly been a great economical and touristy possibility for the future development of Telfs.

Socio-cultural value added

The mediation procedure in Telfs shows that a dense information is very important and positive for all participants. The discussions were open and professionally conducted. The future operator of the golf course acted accordingly to his vision 'they and us together' and cancelled the golf project after not finding a consensus.

Innovative content

The mediation procedure in Telfs was one of the first processes in this character and dimension. The management, organisation and mediation was professionally implemented.

Good governance

No information

PR impact

There is no information about the PR impact.

Multiplier effect / networking

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Transferability

The process was open and professionally managed and can be a good example for other mediation processes.

Remarks

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