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Structural reform: Farmers demand clear rules for property transactions!
On October 16, the Committee for Economic Policy discussed important reforms to the bureaucracy in the Upper Austrian Land Transport Act.
Structural reform: Farmers demand clear rules for property transactions!
On October 16, 2025, the Committee for Legal and Economic Policy met under the chairmanship of President Mag. Franz Waldenberger. The meeting featured the report from the State Audit Office (LRH) on the procedures according to the Upper Austrian Act. Basic Traffic Act (GVG) on the agenda. The LRH made recommendations that could suggest far-reaching changes to basic transport. These include, among other things, a review of the number and composition of the district land traffic commissions in order to reduce bureaucracy, as well as an update of the Upper Austria land traffic open area regulation.
Another central concern of the LRH is the redesign of the technical handling of applications and processing in basic transport. Despite these recommendations, the committee voted to maintain the current structure of the district property commissions. This could make the implementation of potential reforms more difficult, even if the LRH points out the need for additional regulations in its analysis. A reduction in the 16 district land transport commissions and their 14 offices could be considered in order to exploit synergy potential. nachrichten.at
Recommendations of the State Audit Office
The LRH's recommendations relate in particular to the legally compliant handling of property acquisitions, taking into account Upper Austria. GVG, which aims to protect public interests in property sales. This includes protecting the environment, nature and landscape as well as securing non-renewable soil reserves. In addition, the acquisition of land by foreigners should be regulated in order to avoid speculative purchases.
Particular attention is paid to the procedure for acquiring building plots. The LRH sees a need for additional regulation here, particularly in reserved areas such as the lake district and the Pyhrn-Priel region, where certain acquisitions for leisure residence purposes are not permitted. Municipalities take responsibility for monitoring usage in accordance with the intended use.
Legal situation and modernization
The legal basis for real estate transactions is regulated by the Upper Austria. GVG was created in 1994, which came into force on December 1, 1994. It covers acquisitions of land under civil law and defines the approval requirements that apply to agricultural and forestry land as well as building plots. Finally, the LRH pointed out that administrative structures should be modernized to make it easier to process online applications and improve control mechanisms.
In his response to the LRH report, Agriculture Regional Councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger (ÖVP) emphasized that the recommendations were taken seriously. The work of the department is confirmed by the LRH report, in particular the appeal that land should not become an object of speculation. It is important that farmers and foresters continue to have access to agricultural land in the future, which should be supported through reforms and bureaucratic simplifications.
In summary, the meeting of the Committee for Legal and Economic Policy shows that the discussion about basic transport in Upper Austria is lively and future-oriented. The various recommendations could potentially have a major impact on the structure of governance and use of land in the country.