Towards recognition, recovery and perspective | News item

News item | 25-04-2023 | 2:00 PM

In addition, there will be enough money for as long as necessary to ensure that all damage is compensated and that everyone has a safe home. The cabinet also wants to offer Groningen and the next generation more perspective.

State Secretary Vijlbrief: “Children and young people have not been given the youth they deserve. Because the government didn’t help their parents. As a result, several generations in the earthquake area have been seriously deprived and they have lost confidence in the government. We cannot give them back ten years of their lives. But we can use this last chance to do better.”

50 measures

The government is adopting the recommendations of the parliamentary committee of inquiry and has developed them into 50 concrete measures. The government has laid down in law that it will account for progress each year. This happens in a State of Groningen. There will also be a meeting every six months in Groningen about progress and necessary actions.

Better claims handling

The measures concern various components, such as the handling of damage. Some of these measures to make claims handling milder, easier and more humane are:

• The area where residents do not have to demonstrate that earthquake damage is caused by gas extraction will be enlarged. It is also laid down by law that this area can be made larger, not smaller.
• Stop investigating the cause of damage in the event of damage less than € 40,000.
• The IMG, the organization that handles damage, receives money to solve bottlenecks. For example, on the edges of the area where one house receives compensation for damage, but the neighbors do not.

Reinforcing entire streets, neighborhoods or villages

Measures are also being taken to strengthen homes. Some examples to also make amplification milder, easier and more human:

• Streets, neighborhoods or villages are tackled in one go as much as possible.
• We address the differences that arise.
• The residents’ counselors of the NCG are mandated € 50,000 per case to help residents and make decisions.
• Reimbursement for own time of residents in reinforcements

Increasing sustainability

The cabinet is taking measures to make Groningen more sustainable as a priority in order to tackle energy poverty in the earthquake area. Where possible, homes that still need to be reinforced will be prepared at the same time to become natural gas-free at a later date. Additional money will be added to existing national schemes for other homes in the area.

Building well-being and social recovery

The negative consequences of gas extraction go beyond damage to buildings and individuals. They touch an entire region. The government has failed the people in the gas extraction area as individuals and as a collective. The government wants to make a long-term commitment to repair what has been damaged in sixty years. For example, we will try to bring employment and school dropout rates to the national average in a generation (30 years). More attention will also be paid to psychosocial recovery. For example, all earthquake municipalities receive earthquake coaches to support people with problems.

Building economic perspective

In addition, the government is investing in an economic perspective for the longer term. This concerns sustainable energy, health, support for SMEs and developing Groningen into an agricultural region of the 21^e century. Another plan is to invest heavily in hydrogen and the cabinet also wants at least 33% of the capacity still to be built for offshore wind to land in the province of Groningen. With regard to health, the focus is, among other things, on attracting medical specialist training, developing new education and training, establishing health houses in which preventive and curative care come together, and improving e-health applications. Groningen must also develop into an agricultural region of the 21st century through high-quality, nutrient-rich (protein) crops. Sustainable production of healthy food will play an important role in this.

Invest in whole generation

The total costs of the existing and new measures for the national government are more than € 22 billion. The expenses are intended for an entire generation and are therefore spread over 30 years. The government assumes that the more than € 22 billion is sufficient to realize the plans.

Stop gas extraction

In October this year, at the latest next year, gas extraction in Groningen will stop. This is not only necessary for safety, but also necessary for the psychosocial recovery of residents in the earthquake area.