MASTER PLAN FOR RURAL AREAS MORE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR REGIONS.

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1 MASTER PLAN FOR RURAL AREAS MORE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR REGIONS.

2 IMPRINT Owned and published by: FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY ENVIRONMENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria bmlfuw.gv.at Coordination: Chief Executive Department 5 - Communication and Services Photo credits: ArtBuyer.at (cover, p. 4 5, p. 10 all except no. 20); BMLFUW/Alexander Haiden (p. 3, p. 6 7); Tijmen Schuil (p. 8 9); LK NÖ/Alexander Haiden (p. 10 no. 20); Concept and graphic design: WIEN NORD Werbeagentur All rights reserved. Vienna, October 2017

3 The countryside as area of the future: A TAILOR-MADE MASTER PLAN Rural areas represent our country s future. This is why I have established a regional focus in 2017 and launched a broad civil participation process. I wanted to ask people directly what they need and how we can support them in the best possible way where the individual strengths and needs of their respective regions lie and which investments are needed to ensure sustainable development. This ambitious project met with a lot of approval, and the civil participation process yielded highly insightful results. Overall, we collected more than 2,000 ideas and suggestions that were structured in my ministry and fed into the Master Plan. Thus, a comprehensive and interministerial strategy for rural areas was created a joint pathway serving the systematic improvement of economic and living conditions in the countryside. The emphasis is on those topics that are dear to the heart of rural dwellers among them agriculture and forestry, infrastructure, mobility, social responsibility and the digital village. Talking to people on the ground and finding out first-hand about what the regions need has definitely paid off. Now, we must all join forces and implement the Master Plan accordingly together with the Federal Provinces, the municipalities and the population. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those involved for their unwavering support, and I am convinced that also future cooperation will be a resounding success! 3 Your ANDRÄ RUPPRECHTER Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

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5 TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG More than 3,000 people have contributed to the largest civil participation process for rural areas. This broad participation highlights the strong commitment that the population has dedicated to the concerns of the regions. Never before have so many people personally contributed and taken part in the discussion to make rural areas fit for the future. The result the Master Plan points out in detail how Austria s rural regions are to advance. bmlfuw.gv.at/english/masterplan 5

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8 SETTING A NEW STRATEGIC COURSE Two thirds of Austrians live in rural regions, and more than 50 percent of the population even live in municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants. Austria s demographic development is characterised by a strong growth of urban centres while the population in rural areas is declining. From dining all the way to tourism, regionality has never been that high in demand, and still, an ever-growing number of people is attracted to the cities. The prospects held in store for the future in a certain place determine the rural exodus. In terms of education and career opportunities, moving to central hubs that are home to companies and educational institutions is appealing. Against this backdrop, setting a new strategic course and putting in place an ambitious political focus have become indispensable for the future of rural areas. This strategy is to form the basis for a systematic improvement in the countryside as well as for safeguarding the future of rural areas. 8

9 EQUITY FOR THE REGIONS Every year, Austria s rural areas lose more than 5,000 well-trained people to the Greater Vienna region alone, and it is only through new opportunities that this exodus of young people can be prevented. In order for disadvantaged regions to have a future as well, rural development opportunities are being improved in a targeted way. The range of topics covered is correspondingly large. In 20 fields of action, citizens, stakeholders as well as experts devised specific prospects and measures, ranging from digitisation to decentralisation, from the energy transition to voluntary work, from childcare to culture, and from health all the way to the issue of generations in the countryside. Now we are entering the phase of implementation. In this process, it is not only about intelligently linking up the big levers for devising the future of the countryside, first and foremost digitisation, across all key fields of action. It is also about rethinking rural areas. Our rural regions are not loss-making areas, but constitute real treasures for Austria s future the potentials of which we must unearth to the best of our abilities. 9

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11 20 FIELDS OF ACTION 1 Decentralisation: A modern and customer-centred administration system is close to the people. 2 Joint projects across municipalities: Together, municipalities can achieve more for citizens. 3 Digitisation: Only a modern and high-performance infrastructure will make rural areas attractive for companies and families. 4 Resources: The circular economy, the use of renewable energy and sustainable management multiply the potentials harboured by our countryside s treasures. 5 Land use: Regional planning that is geared towards the future ensures the fundamentals of life. 6 Mobility: The countryside needs novel transport concepts and flexible and environmentally-sound mobility. 7 Healthcare: To safeguard healthcare, cooperation between the health professions must be enhanced. 8 Taking care of the elderly: A modern care for the elderly requires flexible forms of care and the further development of mobile services. 9 Energy: The energy transition, more energy efficiency and regional energy concepts are going to enable efficient climate protection. 10 Economic activity: Novel rural entrepreneurship needs an attractive environment. Thus, regional added-value can be boosted. 11 Voluntary work: The commitment of volunteers is indispensable. The work of associations must be fostered in a targeted fashion. 12 Social services: Green-care offers on farms (education, health, care for the elderly or childcare) constitute a key social innovation. 13 Women: A modern perception of women and attractive career prospects prevent the exodus of well-trained women. 14 Education: A variety of education offers and better networking provide more equal opportunities for urban and rural areas alike. 15 Rural exodus: Attractive jobs, a modern infrastructure and affordable housing make the countryside worth living. 16 Tourism: The regions are trailblazers in terms of tourism. Farm-based products and services add to the available offer. 17 Childcare: Also in rural areas, childcare must be available when parents need it. Flexible offers provided on-site support the families. 18 Regional strategies: Each region in Austria has its strengths. Tailor-made strategies (agriculture, business, tourism and environment) advance rural areas. 19 Dining: The growing demand for regional products is a huge opportunity. A strong umbrella brand makes culinary variety visible. 20 Culture: Cultural offers must not be confined to the conurbations. Regional cultural strategies must be developed and put in place. 11

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