State Secretary De Bat wants to divide the area around the epicenter into different damage zones, whereby residents in the inner rings can count on higher compensation than households living further away. This should make dealing with earthquake damage faster and cheaper.
“Only the core – the first ring – is mainly located in a nature reserve where there are few houses, while the damage is largely located in Assen,” says Hiemstra.
The proposed new scheme also applies a ceiling amount for damages. “That doesn’t mean that you will get that, but it does mean that you can never get more than that amount,” he says.
Hiemstra thinks that the scheme will create many new differences, which will cause people to feel that they are not being taken seriously. “It may seem logical at first glance, but in practice it will lead to great dissatisfaction.”
What does not help is that victims with higher damage than the set ceiling still have to go to the Mining Damage Commission counter, while this arrangement remains unchanged. “And it has already become apparent in Ekehaar that this arrangement is flawed and only leads to disappointment.”
The minister has also previously said that the regular scheme at the Mining Damage Commission counter must be adjusted, but his State Secretary has chosen not to do so for the time being. “We find it unacceptable that this is not being adjusted,” Hiemstra is clear. “So all in all we are just very disappointed with what we have now.”
The three Drenthe municipalities and the province are therefore calling for a fixed amount of damage and the option of having the damage repaired by a contractor, instead of a monetary amount. “People are often not looking for money at all, but for the cracks to be repaired,” says Hiemstra.
In addition, they would like to see a disputes committee set up to resolve disagreements between Drenthe victims and the Mining Damage Committee. Moreover, they are in favor of a ‘special situations’ committee, to provide tailor-made solutions for reporters with such extensive damage and additional problems. “All those things are not included and that is why we are disappointed,” said the mayor.
Hiemstra: “We believe that too little has been listened to from the area. It is presented as a nice, easy arrangement, while in practice that is simply not the case.”