Mahlbusen project in Dornumersiel: Taxpayers criticize failure!

Mahlbusen project in Dornumersiel: Taxpayers criticize failure!

The ambitious one Mahlbusen project in Dornumersiel, which was supposed to create an indoor harbor and various tourist facilities on the East Frisian North Sea coast, failed. After 15 years of development, the community of Dornum and Tourismus GmbH have given up their project. In February 2023, the municipality decided not to continue the project. The reasons for this failure are diverse and are related, among other things, to nature conservation hurdles and financial issues.

The Lower Saxony and Bremen Taxpayers Association viewed the project critically. According to a report by NWZ Online It has so far been left unclear how much money has flowed into the development of the indoor harbor. By the end of the project, a total of 270,000 euros had been made available, with 125,000 euros being given as funding. Experts determine that the total costs of the project amount to just over 500,000 euros, which also include reports and studies.

Financial aspects and support

For the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, the municipality of Dornum allocated 230,000 euros to the budget for Mahlbusen-Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (MPEG). The MPEG, which has existed since 2020 and was financed by the municipality and Tourismus GmbH, focused on the planning and implementation of the project. Frank-Peter Nowak, managing director of MPEG, confirmed that 140,800 euros were spent on the concept, legal feasibility study and a bird report. Despite these expenses, the exact amount of expenditure to date remains unclear.

What stood out for the project was the desired creation of a covered adventure harbor that would offer space for 2-3 fishing boats. The planned port should not only serve as a point of sale for fresh fish and crabs, but also act as a venue for cultural events. In addition to the indoor harbor, a 4-star hotel with 100 rooms and a wellness facility were planned. An apartment building with around 30 apartments and a marina with 50 boat berths should round off the offer.

Nature and environmental protection

The planned site for the indoor harbor is located in the EU bird sanctuary, which required additional nature conservation reports. The sale of the necessary land on the inland lake was rejected by the Ministry of Agriculture, which is seen as crucial to the ultimate failure of the project. The local council assessed the situation in February 2023 and decided not to pursue the project any further.

The Taxpayers' Association is following the matter closely and has already submitted a request to the municipality to gain insight into the feasibility study. However, no response has been given so far. The failure of the project raises questions about the efficient use of funds, although it cannot yet be said that the funds were completely wasted as long as the reports were decisive for the Ministry of Agriculture's decision.