Delta Commissioner's weblog - week 24 2010
Towards 100 percent
100 Percent was not the voter turnout for the Lower House elections, those figures were slightly disappointing (because of the rain?). 100 percent is, however, the version of the Delta Programme that I am now going to draw up.
What a week! Shaken up by the election results, we worked hard on the First National Delta Programme. After all, the Netherlands must remain protected – now and in the future – no matter what coalition government is formed. ‘The Delta Commissioner has a missionary capacity,” said Vice Minister Tineke Huizinga when she transferred to the Ministry of VROM.
In the past week I discussed the 90 percent version of the Delta Programme with Minister Camiel Eurlings. We made agreements about the main message of the first Delta Programme and about the possible Cabinet response to several concrete proposals of the Delta Commissioner. Today (Monday), the final version (100 percent) will be completed for submission to the National Delta Programme Administrative Committee. This will take place on 23 June. One day earlier, the Committee on a Sustainable Living Environment (the “gateway” to the Council of Ministers) will meet to discuss the final draft. On 9 July, the Council of Ministers will have the Delta Programme for finalising with a view to the de Prinsjesdag (state opening of Parliament) documents and then our “Delta holiday” will start.
Last week, my staff and I also met to discuss the 1st National Delta Conference, that is to be held on 4 November. We discussed the programme, the venue, the chair for the day and the speakers. It promises to be a special conference with top speakers and a “Delta parade” past the sub-programmes. The Delta Conference will be held annually on the first Thursday of November.
This week I also spoke more extensively with Maarten Hajer, Director of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) about the involvement of the PBL in the knowledge agenda of the Delta Programme. A constructive talk and a great deal of involvement on the part of the agency: a fine group of people!
At the PROVADA (large real estate trade fair in the RAI) in Amsterdam, I spoke with a panel on ‘the beauty of the Netherlands’ and the power of this topic in area development. Something special was that our Chief Government Architect, Liesbeth van der Pol presented her glossy magazine Vastgoedpersonality (Real Estate Personality), for which she had interviewed me in the Zeetoren in Hoek van Holland on a windy and rainy day. It is a wonderful magazine by an exceptional and inspiring woman.
Finally, last Friday I paid a working visit to the Stichtse Rijnlanden water board in connection with the New Construction Plans and Restructuring sub-programme. I saw and heard a lot about building outside the dikes, building in low-lying areas and about the safety objective of dike rings 14, 15 and 44 where the Delta Programme is in conflict with cultural history in places like Oudewater and Montfoort, for example. Excellent insight gained into, among other things, the plans for a climate-proof and sustainable Rijnenburg at the intersection of the A12 and the A4 and the security of the “back door” of the Randstad.
In the week ahead, the next step towards the first Delta Programme. It’s looking good!