Grand Council BE Bern's Grand Council approves amendment to hydraulic engineering law

On Monday, the Bernese Grand Council unanimously approved the amendment to the Hydraulic Engineering Act at first reading. Due to the urgency of the matter, it dispensed with a second reading.

There was hardly any discussion in the cantonal parliament about the amendment to the law on water maintenance and hydraulic engineering. The Building Commission had already unreservedly endorsed the presentation by the Building and Transport Directorate.

Following the approved amendment, the canton now pays 66% of the costs of essential water maintenance for the municipalities instead of the previous 33%.

This relieves the burden on the municipalities, hydraulic engineering associations and sleeper corporations that are obliged to carry out hydraulic engineering. Based on the average values of the last ten years, the total cantonal contribution will increase from CHF 3.3 million to around CHF 6.6 million per year.

The cantonal contribution for other, non-safety-related maintenance will remain unchanged at 33 percent. This applies in particular to the more natural design of watercourses and the maintenance of riverside paths if these are used exclusively for watercourse maintenance. No federal co-financing is planned for these measures.

Flood protection is a joint task between the federal government, canton and communes. From the beginning of 2025, the federal government will contribute to the costs of watercourse maintenance for flood protection.

The federal contributions will go to the canton as earmarked subsidies. The canton passes them on to those responsible for hydraulic engineering by increasing its contribution rate. The cantonal hydraulic engineering law had to be revised for this purpose.