Finances: Culture, climate protection and care – this is where the 2022 budget will go
Land began with “fair pay” in art, anchored in “men’s worlds” and invested in shortening the working hours of care.
SALZBURG. The state government presents the state budget for 2022 and a new debt in prospect. The budget comprises 3.5 billion euros. A new debt of more than 367 million euros will be necessary. The health and hospital sectors will make up the largest chunk of the budget – just under a billion euros. In the social budget it is 488 million euros. In terms of climate protection, 21 million euros have been budgeted, less than the culture budget, which is 29 million euros.
>> HERE < you can find out more about the state budget for 2022.
The district papers spoke to Deputy Governor Heinrich Schellhorn (Greens) about the issues in his social, climate and culture departments:
Mr. Schellhorn, 21 million euros have been budgeted for climate protection. Does that seem like little with a 3.5 billion euro budget?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: We have increased the budget for climate, energy and the environment by 15 percent compared to the previous year. The biggest driver, however, is the transport sector, which is budgeted at 95 million euros.
Which climate protection measures are specifically borne by the transport budget?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: These are all investments by the Provincial Councilor Stefan Schnöll in the field of public transport. Measures include: increasing and expanding cycle times, cycle paths, bike subsidies, increasing local railway cycle times, park & ride spaces and expanding the Pinzgau railway by 17 million euros.
And where does the actual climate protection budget go?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: The main expenses are the subsidies for the switch to renewable energy and the support of people, institutions, communities and companies with climate-friendly measures. For example, the subsidies for photovoltaic systems and oil boiler-out subsidies (both 750,000 euros), the repair bonus and energy advice (additional increase of 200,000 euros) are paid from these funds.
Through the EU aid fund, around 31 million euros are to be reserved for Salzburg in the first quarter for projects also in the area of climate protection. What will this money be spent on?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: What exactly the money WILL come for in the first quarter has not yet been determined. For example, the city regional railway and the repair bonus have been registered for Salzburg.
The culture budget will be 29 million euros. That is two million euros more than in 2021. The sum seems very high – also in comparison to the climate budget.
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: We are reacting to the difficult situation in the art and culture industry in the crisis. As a focus, we want to raise wages, salaries and fees for employees and freelancers in the cultural sector. One million euros is earmarked for the first part of this “fair pay” implementation in the salaried area. The budget for “Fair Pay” should then increase annually by 250,000 euros. Salzburg is the first federal state in which money actually flows for “fair pay”. Large projects in the field of cultural heritage are also included – e.g. the renovation of the parish church of the Assumption of Mary in Bad Hofgastein or the general restoration of the Kajetan Church of the Brothers of Mercy.
The social budget will amount to 488 million euros, eight million euros more than in 2020. The increase in the budget is greatest in care. Where will this money go exactly?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: There will be an additional increase in nursing care to give the porters leeway to improve their personal performance. Most of it will go towards the reduction in working hours, which all organizations with the SWÖ-KV (Sozialwirtschaft-Österreich-Kollektivvertrag) will have to implement by January 2022. This is intended to improve working conditions.
“In 2022 there will also be more federal funding for initiatives in nursing training and community nurses.”
LH Deputy Heinrich Schellhorn
What is there for the families?
HEINRICH SCHELLHORN: In the area of child and youth welfare, outpatient support for families and outpatient assistance in upbringing are to be expanded with additional budgetary expenditure of 1.6 million euros. The establishment of a regional office for the child protection center in Pongau is also planned for 2022 and the violence prevention project “Men’s Worlds” is to become permanent with 215,000 euros.
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