Austrian Torrent Control Act (“Wildbachverbauungsgesetz”) and Ordinances

Avalanche control structure at Obergurgl
Photo: BML / Alexander Haiden

This meanwhile “historical” law regulates the basic features of the activities of the Forest Engineering Service in Torrent and Avalanche Control (“Forsttechnischer Dienst der Wildbach- und Lawinenverbauung”).

Content of the Act

Today the provisions on the area of work and the general project are still of current importance. They include the possibility that the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management decides about the public usefulness of the planned undertaking and on whether the general project is suitable for further negotiation.

Furthermore, Section VII. of the Forest Act 1975 includes provisions concerning “Protection against Torrents and Avalanches”.

Ordinances

Based on the above-mentioned provisions of the Forestry Act the following ordinances were adopted:

  1. The Ordinance on Administrative Departments in Torrent and Avalanche Control (“Wildbach- und Lawinenverbauung-Dienststellenverordnung”) contains provisions concerning the headquarters and the local competence of the individual Provincial Headquarters (“Sektionen”) and Regional Headquarters (“Gebietsbauleitungen”) of the Forest Engineering Service in Torrent and Avalanche Control.
  2. The Ordinance on the Tasks of the Administrative Departments and the BMLF in Matters concerning Torrent and Avalanche Control (“Verordnung über den Aufgabenbereich der Dienststellen und des BMLF in Angelegenheiten der WLV”) contains a list of the relevant tasks of the Regional Headquarters, Provincial Headquarters and the BMLRT (formerly BMNT).
  3. The Ordinance on the Hazard Zone Plans according to the Austrian Forest Act (“ForstG-Gefahrenzonenplanverordnung”) contains detailed provisions on the content, form and design of hazard zone plans.