‘Are you for or against the proposed decision on the Main Green Structure?’ Amsterdam residents will be asked this question when they go to the polls on June 6. In addition to the fact that a vote can be cast for the European Parliament, you can also check whether you agree with the new green plans of councilor Reinier van Dantzig (D66). But what is that referendum actually about?
The Main Green Structure, a document of almost 90 pages that describes which green areas in the city are protected. For example, no houses may be built at those locations. This concerns, for example, city parks, such as the Vondelpark or the Gaasperpark, and ‘wandering nature’, such as the Oeverlanden and the WH Vliegenbos. But the document also mentions sports parks, allotment parks, cemeteries and ‘curiosities’ – Artis, Hortus and Het Stenenhoofd.
Criticism of plans
At the end of October 2022, the responsible councilor Van Dantzig came out with the adjustments to the Main Green Structure. In the new plans, the protected greenery is expanded by adding more parks and water. “We are going to protect the existing greenery even better,” Van Dantzig said at the time.
But the alderman’s plans received quite a bit of criticism. According to the critics, there are too many grounds for exception in the plans. This means that building in protected green areas could still be done in some ways. For example, it states that wind turbines may not be built in nature unless they have been designated as search areas for wind energy by, among other things, a municipal decision. According to critics, this paves the way for wind turbines in areas such as the Gaasperplas.
‘Sjoemelgreen’
There is also criticism of what is included in the policy as green. For example, artificial grass fields at sports parks count, as do highway verges. According to the initiators of the referendum, this is ‘cheesy green’ for achieving the green standards, the number of square meters of green per home. The organizers want the municipality to take a closer look at whether these green standards are really being achieved and what is counted as green.
In addition, there was criticism of the way in which the new plans came about. Van Dantzig adjusted the plans of his predecessor’s Main Green Structure after he was installed as alderman. A consultation round had already taken place for the earlier version, which meant that Van Dantzig’s version would only be discussed by the municipal council. The initiators argue that this prevented Amsterdam residents from making their voices heard.
Due to the criticism of the plans, a specially scheduled consultation evening was organized on January 11 last year. 35 speakers had registered and about a hundred people were present for a protest. Responsible councilor Reinier van Dantzig was not present himself, but said a day later that he wants to protect more greenery with the new plans and that municipal councilors can always vote against the construction plans.
First citywide referendum since 2002
The plan was on the city council agenda so it could be voted on. The organizers therefore started the process for the referendum. “If more time and space had been offered, we would have talked to the alderman. But there was no time,” organizer Sonja Brilman previously explained. “So then we kind of had to pull the emergency brake.”
Since 2022, the rules for setting up referenda have been relaxed. This means that fewer signatures are needed, no longer 30,000 but 10,000, and applicants are given ten instead of four weeks to collect them. The 20 percent turnout threshold also no longer applies. The first step for Amsterdam residents who want a referendum is to submit an introductory request to the chairman of the municipal council. This requires 1,000 signatures from people who are eligible to vote.
The introductory request from the organizers was signed en masse. Within a day the count reached 18,000 people. The request to set up the referendum was then accepted by the entire council and the organizers were allowed to look for 10,000 signatures from Amsterdam residents.
That number was reached well before the end of the collection period. It is the first referendum to be held citywide. The last time was in 2002, about the privatization of the GVB. In the past, referendums were also held on the arrival of the North/South line and the construction of IJburg. A referendum was held in Weesp in 2018 on the connection with Amsterdam. The Weespers may also cast a vote on the Main Green Structure, but the city area is not included in the policy.
Question difficult
The organizers therefore disagree with the Main Green Structure on many points: too many grounds for exceptions, the green standards and the city’s vision of greenery. But what question do you ask during the referendum? Since the official rules state that Amsterdam residents must vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on whether they are in favor of a plan by the council or the council.
‘Are you for or against the proposed decision on the Main Green Structure?’
That was also the problem that the municipal referendum committee struggled with. Because wasn’t such a yes/no question too simplistic? According to some council members, perhaps yes, and the initiators agreed. They believed that there should be sub-questions in the referendum. However, this is not possible due to the regulation.
Ultimately, the referendum committee chose the question: ‘are you for or against the proposed decision on the Main Green Structure?’ You could also describe this as: ‘may the municipality’s plans for the Main Green Structure be continued, taking all the pros and cons into account’.
Ultimately, it is an advisory referendum, the result is not binding. Council members may decide for themselves during the vote on the Main Green Structure whether they want to comply with the referendum result.
Campaign time
With one month to go until Amsterdam residents can answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the voting booth, the question is what will happen next. Campaigning for the referendum is allowed, just like during elections. But we will not see a debate in De Balie or in Pakhuis de Zwijger between Van Dantzig and the initiators.
“The council would like to see proponents and opponents of the policy conduct this debate”
A few weeks ago, the alderman wrote in a letter to the city council that he will adopt a ‘reserved’ attitude and will not use the campaign budget. In principle, an amount of 15,000 euros is available for Van Dantzig to persuade the people of Amsterdam to support his plans, but at the request of former JA21 councilor Annabel Nanninga, the councilor is not allowed to use the official apparatus and communication channels of the council during the campaign period. local authority.
According to the housing councilor, it is not possible to campaign without the involvement of civil servants and it is also not possible to do it alone with the budget, he would then have to hire external people. The city council plans to only explain ‘factually’ what the plans entail, for example to the press, council members or in the referendum newspaper.
Van Dantzig writes that he would like to see proponents and opponents of the policy conducting the debate. Whether that will happen remains to be seen. Since the end of last year, subsidies have also been available for Amsterdam residents who want to campaign. However, this was requested in eight cases by opponents of the green plans and in five cases for a neutral campaign. There are no applications for the subsidy from a party that is in favor of the Main Green Structure.
-
