Today Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić visited the city of Petrinja. Accompanied by State Secretary Tonči Glavinić, Chief Advisor to the Minister Iva Hudan and associates, Minister Bačić held a regular working meeting with Mayor Magdalena Komes and her associates on the course of post-earthquake reconstruction. As part of the working visit, he toured two locations of structural reconstruction of multiapartment buildings, a newly renovated road in the Gora suburban settlement and he visited a family in their reconstructed family house.
The meeting with Mayor Magdalena Komes and her associates was also attended by Deputy Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Mihael Jurić, and it addressed the course of the post-earthquake reconstruction in the city of Petrinja.
“This morning, we had a joint, regular meeting where we discussed the reconstruction of Petrinja and analysed every location undergoing reconstruction or facing reconstruction in order to find ways to further boost the process,” Minister Bačić said.
Mayor Komes pointed out that during the meeting it was once again confirmed that the Ministry and the Government of the Republic of Croatia continuously monitor the reconstruction in Petrinja, but that certain questions were raised on the very course of the works.
“We still call upon contractors to apply to the calls published by the Ministry, County and the City of Petrinja, in order to finish reconstruction as soon as possible, return citizens to their homes and move forward with the realisation of projects ahead of us,” Mayor Komes stated.
Minister Bačić pointed out that the largest challenge at this moment is structural reconstruction of family houses that are “scattered across Sisak-Moslavina County”, which hampers public procurement of contractors, since it is difficult to establish construction sites when houses are far from each other. However, he is confident that they will find enough interested construction companies for those locations as well.
During his visit to Petrinja, Minister Bačić also toured two structural reconstructions of multiapartment buildings at Petar Preradović Square 1 and August Šenoa Street 9, comprising 47 housing units. He also visited the Šarić family, whose house was structurally reconstructed as part of the post-earthquake reconstruction.
“For these three locations we invested 3.1 million euro to return 48 families to their homes, where they could not reside because of the earthquake consequences,” the Minister said.
Aside from reconstruction, strong investments in housing and infrastructural projects in Petrinja
Minister Bačić also visited the newly renovated road in the Gora suburban settlement, for which funding was secured through the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The programme of extraordinary road maintenance involves asphalting approximately one kilometre of unclassified road and constructing approximately 300 metres of sidewalk.
The renovated road leads toward the Gora Primary School, two churches, hunting lodge, firehouse and family houses. The Minister expressed how satisfied he is that the renovated road is located between two reconstructed buildings - the local school and Marian shrine of the Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mayor Komes said that this project enables “better-quality and safer living conditions for students and residents of the Gora settlement”. She emphasised that alongside the reconstruction of residential buildings, which is still a priority, numerous municipal and infrastructural projects significant for the local community also take place.
Deputy County Prefect Mihael Jurić added that the reconstruction of public use buildings across Sisak-Moslavina County is nearing full completion.
“By the end of the year, we expect the last healthcare system buildings in Petrinja to be completed. With the Government’s support, we have renovated the healthcare and social welfare systems, but we will be satisfied once the last house damaged by the earthquake is reconstructed”, Jurić stated.
Speaking about reconstruction in the Petrinja earthquake area, Minister Bačić pointed out that by now almost 10,000 locations have been completed, 452 new replacement family houses have been built and 156 of them are under construction.
“What is particularly important is that through reconstruction we aim to renovate the very Petrinja centre and restore the splendour it used to have. In this respect, through our agreement, we have included the City of Petrinja in the reconstruction of buildings in the very city centre,” the Minister added.
The housing stock in Petrinja has been increased by the construction of eight multiapartment buildings comprising 152 housing units, while the construction of eight more such multiapartment buildings is in progress.
4.36 billion euro invested in post-earthquake reconstruction
When asked by the reporters, Minister Bačić reiterated that the plan is to finish the construction of all replacement family houses by 2027.
“By the end of the year, all replacement family houses in the Zagreb earthquake area will be completed, with possible minor deviations due to disputed documentation. Complex structural reconstructions of multiapartment buildings in Zagreb, and some structural reconstructions of family houses in Sisak-Moslavina County, are planned to be completed by the end of 2030. Therefore, there are still four years of reconstruction ahead of us,” the Minister said.
Let us recall that from the beginning of the reconstruction in earthquake-affected areas, nearly 14,500 reconstruction projects have been completed. A total of 498 replacement houses have been built, while 204 houses are under construction. In addition, 83 subsidies have been paid for the purchase of a housing unit instead of building a replacement house.
At this time, 1,925 construction sites are open, whereby 1,804 refer to private and 121 to public use buildings. Additional 1,200 locations worth 103.99 million euro are in the contractor procurement process.
It is worth noting that by now 4.36 billion euro has been spent in the Zagreb and Petrinja earthquake areas - 2.55 billion euro referring to the Zagreb earthquake and 1.81 billion euro referring to the Petrinja earthquake.
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