Regional Council Approves Funds to Restore Garda Beaches and Infrastructure

But what has changed the regional councilor’s mind about the funding? “The fact that the lake represents an economic driver for tourism and thus a reservoir of valuable currency for the entire Benacus economy, but also for the whole Veneto region. Therefore, the necessity of enabling mayors to restore beaches, roads, sewage systems, and everything else to decent conditions,” explained Massimo Giorgetti.

There was also expressed satisfaction by the mayors, some of whom confirmed that the meeting was important in reaching an agreement with Venice. “The meeting was fruitful,” commented Luca Sebastiano, mayor of Lazise and the one who requested the largest fund among the seven towns of the Veronese Riviera, with two billion and one hundred and one million euros.

“Since we suffered damages and were penalized to safeguard the Po River areas and the towns overlooking the Adige,” Sebastiano continued decisively, “it was right that we be reimbursed for the heavy expenses to be borne. These funds will be sufficient, provided that the promised timelines are respected, to restore every beach, promenade, and road in our towns, in time for the tourist season. The councilor kept his word.”

Mayor’s Comment and New Developments in Beach Management

In the same vein, the mayor of Torri, Alberto Vedovelli, who, after the meeting, found a desire to joke again. “The availability and speed of the Region were excellent,” he admits, “even though we were even faster, since we contracted the restoration work even before confirming the arrival of the funds.”

However, one further observation deserves to be made: this is the first time that a regional councilor has moved to meet mayors at their homes, so they do not have to waste an entire day waiting in Venice offices.

Moreover, the recent meeting marked another innovation for the Garda towns. Councilor Giorgetti, in fact, acknowledging the “absurdity of the regulations that assign responsibility from the demanio (state property) to the Region and from the Region to the Province for beach management,” promised that “soon, that is, by summer, we will change this reality from Venice. We will transfer the management of beaches and state spaces to the various municipalities, so they do not have to wait for authorizations and opinions from the Province to manage parts of the territory within their borders, over which they previously had no decision-making autonomy.” In line with federalism.