Croatia Demolishes 157 Illegally Built Weekend Homes Along Drava River

The State Inspectorate is finally taking decisive action against the rampant illegal construction along the Drava River, a problem that has plagued the region for decades. For years, authorities turned a blind eye as weekend homes, some dating back to the Yugoslav era, sprang up on state land and within protected ecological zones. While the current demolition efforts, targeting around 700 structures, are a welcome step, the slow pace and the reasons for the prolonged tolerance of this illegal development raise serious questions.

It is disheartening to see how spatial planning issues and a lack of oversight allowed this situation to escalate. The fact that 68 cases are currently on hold due to pending legalization attempts highlights a systemic weakness. While the law dictates that owners bear the cost of demolition, the lengthy administrative processes and the limited possibilities for regularization for most of these properties suggest a complex and drawn-out battle ahead.

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The construction inspection is carrying out inspection supervision of the legality of construction in the area of the so-called Varaždin Lake, i.e. supervision of buildings built on cadastral municipalities Kuršanec, Varaždin and Pušćine. Except for the northern shore of k.o. Kuršanec, which is located within the construction area intended for recreation, all remaining supervised areas are located outside the boundaries of the construction area according to the provisions of the valid spatial planning documentation and within a specially protected area within the Mura-Drava Regional Park and within the Natura 2000 ecological network.

The Večernji List has consistently highlighted the importance of preserving our natural resources and upholding the rule of law. The continued construction on protected land, within the Regional Park Mura-Drava and the Natura 2000 network, is simply unacceptable. We expect the State Inspectorate to not only continue its work diligently but also to provide a clear explanation for the past failures and to ensure that such widespread illegal construction is prevented in the future. The environmental impact and potential remediation plans also need to be addressed transparently.

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The demolition procedure through a third party has been initiated for the first group of 29 buildings.