Bonte also on Spatial Planning, Koning focuses all attention on housing and Aad Straathof adds Wildlife Management.

The provincial government has redistributed the task package. Anne Koning will further focus on Housing. The newly appointed deputy Arno Bonte will also take charge of Spatial Planning alongside Energy, Nature, and IPO management. Aad Straathof adds Wildlife Management to his portfolio.

The appointment of new executives Arno Bonte (GroenLinks-PvdA) and Aad Straathof (BBB) provides a logical moment to reconsider the current packages. The Provincial Executive has redistributed the task package among themselves. The most significant change is that deputy Anne Koning (GroenLinks-PvdA) wants to place more emphasis on Housing and therefore transfers Spatial Planning to her colleague Bonte. Wildlife Management will henceforth be under the responsibility of Aad Straathof.

Alert Phase 1

Anne Koning is clear; she wants as much attention as possible for Housing. “It is alert phase 1,” she explains. “It is hard to explain how many people are looking for a good house. Therefore, I want to free up even more time to ensure that those nearly a quarter million homes planned are actually built. That is a huge task and requires a lot of attention.”

South Holland has the largest housing construction task in the Netherlands. By 2030, nearly a quarter million homes need to be built. Sufficient plans have been submitted for all those homes, but there are still issues that need to turn plans into actual projects. These include, for example, nitrogen emissions, energy shortages, financial challenges, or simply a lack of people to actually build.

Complex Choices

The new deputy Arno Bonte is responsible for Spatial Planning. “South Holland is the most densely populated region in Europe. For all the tasks we face, we actually have too little space available,” he explains. “This means that we constantly have to make complex choices. Only by smartly distributing the scarce space can we ensure enough energy, work, housing, nature, and recreation.”
In the short term, he will work on a major revision of the environmental policy. “Basically, it is a major overhaul for the provinces engine. We agree on how to distribute space and how to ensure that we reserve enough space for all those important core facilities from drinking water and housing to electricity and food supply.”

Logical Distribution

“Wildlife Management is a logical addition to my Agriculture portfolio,” states Aad Straathof. “First of all, because in practice there has long been an overlap between farmers and a healthy wildlife population. A good dialogue about this with farmers offers opportunities to find the right balance between wildlife management and agricultural entrepreneurship. It also helps that I know what wildlife damage means in practice for an agricultural entrepreneur.

In South Holland, the nuisance from certain types of wildlife has been a problem for years, and the costs are increasing annually. This damage is primarily felt by farmers. The province plays an important role in managing and restoring a natural balance.

Current Portfolio Distribution

  • Aad Straathof: Agriculture & Fisheries, Nitrogen, Personnel and Organization, Wildlife Management, Peat Meadow ZH-PLG, Green Heart (NOVEX)
  • Arno Bonte: Energy, Nature, Environmental Policy, Spatial Planning, and IPO Management
  • Anne Koning: Housing, Recreation, Tourism and Sports, NOVEX Southern Randstad, ZHPLG Coast and Dunes
  • Mariëtte van Leeuwen: Finance, Communication, Participation and Public Affairs, EU and International, Coordination ZH-PLG, Healthy and Safe
  • Frederik Zevenbergen: Traffic, Transport and Public Transport, Governance and Society, Licensing
  • Meindert Stolk: Economy and Innovation, Supervision and Enforcement, Environment, Culture and Heritage
  • Arne Weverling: Water, Soil and Climate Adaptation, Transition Port and Industry/Maritime Cluster, Aviation, Land Affairs, Schiphol, Rotterdam Port, Regional Delegation Leader, Area Deputy ZH-Delta ZH-PLG