The Bernese government wants to improve flood protection

Lüscherz | November 14, 2024

Lüscherz on Lake Biel has repeatedly been a victim of flooding in recent years. The government council wants to improve flood protection in the community with a loan worth millions.

The Seeland community of Lüscherz has often been hit by floods, as was the case here in December 2023. Photo: Keystone

The Bernese government council has approved a loan of 1.57 million francs for the expansion of flood protection on the Lüscherz village stream. Over the past twenty years, heavy rainfall has repeatedly led to flooding in the village center of the Seeland community.

Among other things, two retention basins in the Gurzelen area and a relief pipeline in the village center are planned, as the government council wrote in a statement on Thursday. In addition, the drainage capacity of the village stream should be increased.

Further short messages from the government council

Wastewater treatment for the municipality of Niederbipp will be located in Oensingen in the future. In the future, the wastewater from the municipality of Niederbipp will be treated in the Falkenstein wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the canton of Solothurn. For the necessary expansion of the Falkenstein ARA and the connection of the municipality of Niederbipp to the facility, the government council approved two contributions from the wastewater fund amounting to 3.71 million francs.

Revision of the Innovation Promotion Act strengthens the canton. The government council wants to strengthen the canton’s innovative and economic strength: It is requesting an adjustment to the cantonal Innovation Promotion Act (IFG) in order to enable, in addition to start-up financing, recurring financial aid in the area of ​​application-oriented research. In contrast to other cantons, this has not yet been possible in Bern. The consultation process showed that a majority of parties and large parts of the economy support the adjustments. The revision of the law will be discussed in the Grand Council in spring 2025.