There will be no reporting obligation for cutting off carbide during New Year’s Eve in Hoogeveen. The municipality wanted to make reporting mandatory from a safety point of view. Visualizing all carbide shooting groups would improve enforcement, but a majority voted against the plan tonight.
The CDA, VVD, Municipal Interests and Forum for Democracy came together with an amendment to sweep the proposal off the table. That suggestion was widely supported. The PvdA and D66, among others, joined later.
“An obligation to report would cause unnecessary bureaucracy,” said Haaije Feenstra-Paas on behalf of the CDA. “We do not want that. It is a beautiful tradition that must be continued.” He could count on the support of co-applicant Ronald Klok (VVD). “People are responsible for their own actions when they shoot carbide.”
Vincent Vos of Forum for Democracy did not like the proposal either. “It fits in with the bigger picture that the government wants more and more control. With such a reporting obligation, something cultural is taken away from the people.”
The ChristenUnie, SGP and SP all voted against. But that was ultimately not enough to sweep the amendment off the table again. There is a reporting obligation in the neighboring municipality of De Wolden. This also applies to the municipalities of Midden-Drenthe, Westerveld, Assen, Noordenveld, Emmen and Borger-Odoorn.