Roza &OverijsselDemocracy in action

Foreword

The province of Overijssel is active in many areas of your

environment. Take for instance the impressive network of

buses that can take you anywhere you want to go in the

region. But public transport is just a small part of what

we do.

The provincial government makes decisions on a daily

basis that shape your environment. These decisions are

sometimes very hard to make: should we make room for

nature or allow development of a business park that will

create jobs?

That’s why I think it’s important for you to know what we

do, and to know how to get in touch when necessary.

Because we can only make the right choices if we know

what you think.

This brochure and film shows you how the provincial government of Overijssel works and

how we manage your environment. If you want to know more please visit our website

www.jijenoverijssel.nl. or feel free to attend a meeting of the Provincial Council.

Ank Bijleveld-Schouten,

Queen’s Commissioner in the province Overijssel

Overijssel

The province of Overijssel covers 3,421 km2, and is home to over 1.1 million people

distributed over 25 municipalities. It is a great place to live, work and play. As a province we

believe it is important that everyone can flourish. That there are jobs and room for business.

That there is an abundance of beautiful nature and that you can live and play in pleasant

surroundings. We make sure that the roads are not congested, that there are opportunities

for innovation, that public transport runs smoothly and that the facilities in the towns and

rural areas are excellent.

Every day we work together to make Overijssel more liveable, more beautiful, safer and more

accessible. We do this by working with the municipal governments, water boards, central

government, civil society organisations and residents. And together we decide the future of

our province.

Want to know more?

Visit www.overijssel.nl and www.jijenoverijssel.nl

A beautiful province to live, work and grow up in.

How is the province governed?

The province is governed by the Provincial Council. Its 47 members are elected once every four

years by the inhabitants of Overijssel entitled to vote. It is their responsibility to set the

framework, provide oversight and represent public interests. As with national elections, a

coalition is formed following the local elections, after which a plan is prepared for the next four

years. The coalition agreement of 2011-2015 is entitled ‘Power of Overijssel’ (Kracht van

Overijssel).

Flag

The provincial fl ag consists of fi ve

horizontal bars in red, yellow and blue.

The blue meandering line symbolises the

river IJssel. The yellow and red represent

the colours of our coat of arms.

OverijsselOverijssel

Provincial Executive

The Provincial Executive consists of the Queen´s Commissioner and five elected members,

each with their own portfolio. It conducts the day-to-day administration of the province.

The Provincial Executive is supported by the provincial secretary/director who heads the

provincial civil service.

Queen’s Commissioner

Ms Ank Bijleveld-Schouten became Queen’s Commissioner in Overijssel on 1 January 2011.

The Queen’s Commissioner is nominated by the Provincial Executive and is then appointed by

the Queen for a period of six years. She is chair of the Provincial Council, as well as the board of

the Provincial Executive. As head of the Provincial Executive she also has voting rights, although

she does not have the right to vote in the Provincial Council. She is politically objective and

represents the interests of Overijssel in The Hague and Brussels. She plays an important part in

the appointment of the mayor of Overijssel and acts as the face of the province on many areas.

She is also responsible for the ‘Quality of Government’ portfolio.

Overijssel

The Provincial Executive. From left to right: Hester Maij, Bert Boerman, Gerrit Jan Kok, secretary Harry

Timmerman, Ineke Bakker, Theo Rietkerk and Queen’s Commissioner Ank Bijleveld-Schouten.

What does the province do?

The province acts as the layer of administration between the municipalities and the central

government. The province deals with spatial planning, including water management, in addition

to public transport and roads, regional economy, nature, culture and heritage.

We focus our activities on a number of core tasks:

• Regional development.

• Sustainable spatial development and planning, including water management.

• Environment and energy.

• Rural development.

• Regional accessibility and public transport.

• Regional economy.

• Cultural infrastructure and heritage preservation.

• Quality of government.

• Social infrastructure, youth policy and other non-core tasks.

For more information about our core tasks please visit www.overijssel.nl/kerntaken.

Core tasks

“The province of Overijssel gives creative entrepreneurs the space to bloom in the most beautiful part of Deventer!”Kim Snijders, Dok H2O

Investments 2011-2015

The ‘Power of Overijssel’ coalition agreement not only outlines our plans for the coming four

years, it also indicates the amount earmarked for core tasks. The total budget for this period is

almost € 1 billion, and the pie chart on this page provides a breakdown of funding for each

core task.

Core tasks

€ 207 million

Regional development

There are a number of often major

projects relating to regional

development that cannot be

categorised under one core task.

As these projects fall under several

core tasks a separate budget of € 207

has been allocated

for them.

Sustainable spatial development and planning, including water management.€ 8 million

Environment and energy.€ 24.4 million

Rural development€ 137 million

Regional accessibility

and public transport.

€ 466 million

Regional economy

€ 106 million

Cultural infrastructure and

heritage preservation€ 6 million

Quality of government

€ 5 million

Social infrastructure, youth policy and other non-core tasks.€ 27 million

Regional development€ 207 million

Total € 986,4 million*

* As at 1 January 2012

Core tasks

Sustainable spatial development planning, including water management

Spatial development planning is about the bigger picture, not just the creation of a residential

area, business park, road or nature reserve. The province is responsible for the spatial quality

and development in Overijssel. Our goal is to build and maintain a healthy society where people

can feel at home. Where cities and towns offer suffi cient employment and cultural activities,

and where the inhabitants, nature, agriculture and water in rural areas complement each other.

This is outlined in our Environmental Vision (Omgevingsvisie), a single coherent approach uniting

all our plans for the region, traffi c and transportation, water resources and the environment.

Examples

• IJsseldelta-Zuid.

• Starter’s loan.

• Environmental Vision.

€ 8 million

“I think the fi rst-time buyer loan is the perfect choice for

people looking to secure a mortgage during these

diffi cult times. It can make all the difference!”

Henk Teekman, fi rst-time buyer

Environment and energy

A healthy and safe living and working environment is vital for prosperity and welfare. With

proper permits and smart controls we can ensure everyone living in Overijssel has a healthy

and safe environment in which to live and work.

The cost of fossil fuels is rising. That is why the province backs new energy and energy

effi ciency. This will ultimately create jobs and reduce energy costs and makes Overijssel

an attractive choice for businesses. The province also stimulates sustainable and

climate-neutral building.

Core tasks

Examples

• Bio-fermentation.

• New energy: green gas, biogas,

green electricity and solar, wind,

biomass and geothermal energy.

• Remediation of asbestos roads.

€ 24,4 million

“Ben & Jerry’s has developed the world’s fi rst bio-fermentation technology that can convert ice cream waste, containing high levels of cream and fats, into bio-energy. This innovation refl ects Unilever’s commitment to halving energy consumption, waste and water use by 2020. And this fi ts in seamlessly with the province of Overijssel’s ambition.” Rudi van der Arend, Ben & Jerry’s Hellendoorn

Rural development

Overijssel has a great diversity of nature and landscape. These areas, rich in different species

and natural beauty, are integral parts of a viable and healthy living environment and a vital

economy. The form and purpose of the various landscapes and sites in Overijssel are important.

Is an area for example suitable for recreation, nature or does it offer opportunities for

generating energy?

Overijssel is a green province, where nature is our backbone. Our province is home to two Dutch

National Landscapes, two national parks and countless cycling routes. Not only is Overijssel a

beautiful place to live in, it also attracts many tourists. And that of course benefi ts our economy.

Examples

Core tasks

• Project Oude Radewijkerbeek,

Hardenberg.

• National Landscapes Noordoost-

Twente and IJsseldelta.

• National Parks Weerribben-Wieden

and Sallandse Heuvelrug.

€ 137 million

“Oude Radewijkerbeek is part of the Vechtpark project, carried out by the Velt & Vecht Water Board and the municipality of Hardenberg. This large park, covering 180 hectares, combines water, nature and different visitor experiences. The province is a partner in the project, and not only makes a fi nancial contribution, but is also actively involved in achieving the various objectives.”Alwin te Rietstap, municipality of Hardenberg

Core tasks

Regional accessibility and public transport

We want everyone to be able to move around in Overijssel easily, quickly and safely. Good

accessibility is vital for the economy and the mobility of our residents and visitors. That is why

we invest in a high quality and attractive range of roads and waterways, public transport and

cycling paths and cycle facilities. Depending on your destination, you can choose to get there

by bike, car, bus or train.

Examples

• Improvements to the Almelo-De Haandrik Canal.

• Maintenance of provincial roads.

• More bicycle parking facilities at stations.

€ 466 million

“The widening of the bridges over the Almelo-De Haandrik Canal means we can build broader houseboats. We can now compete better with other houseboat builders.” Gerjan Olsman, Van de Water Arkenbouw

Core tasks

€ 106 million

Examples

• Restructuring of business areas.

• Production of hi-tech materials, such

as nanotechnology and polymers.

• Stimulating a strong tourism and

recreation sector.

Regional economy

The province of Overijssel takes charge of regional economic policy under the motto

“Strengthen, Sustain, Stimulate”. The province focuses on the sectors that are key to economic

development in Overijssel and the Netherlands, namely high-tech systems and materials, energy,

chemicals and plastics, and healthcare and technology. In addition, the province has opted to

further strengthen sectors of regional significance, including tourism, food and construction.

The province is committed to creating a competitive economic climate that is attractive to

businesses, and where education responds to the requirements of businesses. Government

policy is aimed at ensuring the Netherlands regains its place among the top five knowledge

economies of the world, and the new economic policy of the province of Overijssel contributes

significantly to this.

The province invests in the University of Twente. Students

from all over the world want to complete their studies here

because of UT’s reputation for innovation. Nanotechnology

development is just one example.

Core tasks

Cultural infrastructure and heritage preservation

What a region can offer in terms of culture is an important factor for people looking for

somewhere to live. There is a clear relationship between an area’s cultural environment and

liveability. Moreover, a varied offer of culture is considered by many young people to be an

essential factor when choosing somewhere to live.

Art, culture and heritage also stimulate the local economy and contribute to employment

opportunities and innovation. Good reasons to maintain Overijssel’s thriving cultural climate.

We do this together with the province of Gelderland and other major cities in this area.

The province is also responsible for supporting municipalities in heritage and archaeology.

In addition, Overijssel is obliged (as is the case with all provinces) to maintain at least one

regional television channel, which in this case is RTV Oost.

Examples

• Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle.

• Overijssel Liberation Festival.

• RTV Oost.

€ 6 million

“Museum de Fundatie wants to offer everyone the chance to enjoy art. Our Palace in Zwolle is undergoing a major expansion and the sculpture garden at Castle Het Nijenhuis has already been renovated. The province of Overijssel not only provides fi nancial support, what many people don’t know is that it also has its own magnifi cent art collection including works by Paul Citroen, Jan Voerman and Karel Appel. What a delight to have these in our museums!”Ralph Keuning, Museum de Fundatie

Core tasks

Quality of Government

The people of Overijssel are our highest priority. They must be confi dent that their interests are

in safe hands, which is why we want to ensure outstanding quality of the provincial and local

government. We actively seek opportunities for cooperation with other government bodies, and

we also have a legal supervisory role for the municipalities, in areas such as fi nances. Last but

not least, we actively seek to involve citizens in shaping policy.

Social infrastructure, child welfare

and other non-core tasks.

We invite members of the public to share

their expertise, ideas and expectations of

their environment with us. The province

has the statutory task of ensuring there

are suffi cient child welfare facilities in

Overijssel, although this responsibility will

be transferred to the municipalities as

of 2015.

€ 5 million

€ 27 million

Colophon

Publication

Province of Overijssel, June 2012

Production

Bureau Beeldtaal Filmmakers

Actors

Roza: Jolijn van Ginkel

Mark: Peter Oude Wesselink

Lecturer: Dirk van der Pol

Father: Koos Landeweerd

Lotte: Nana Osei Boahene

Extras

Marjanne van Arendonk,

Tristan van Arendonk,

Pim Bakker, Priscilla Bruinekreeft,

Uwe Dobberstein, Manjeet Kaur,

Bart Oerbekke, Joost van Schie,

Sukhpreet Singh and students of

Puck Haverkamp, Saxion Hogeschool

Crew

Marjanne van Arendonk, Arnold Bomhof,

Lukas Brouwer, Robert-Jan Glas,

Raymond Hartman, Gerwin Lucas,

Daniël Nijenhuis, Bart Oerbekke, Willem Spier

Text and coordination

Province of Overijssel

Photography

Marjo Baas, Tekstbureau Kroes,

Femke Teussink, Ben Vulkers

Graphic design

Artnic Creatief in communicatie

With thanks to

Saxion Hogeschool, Gerwin Lucas, Ben & Jerry’s,

Museum de Fundatie, Gemeente Hardenberg,

Nanolab Enschede, Makelaardij Hypodomus

Steenwijk, Dok H2O, Vincent Weijermars,

Camille Gruter

2012-231e

Roza is a student at the university. One day her lecturer tells her to fi nd out exactly what the province does. Reluctantly she starts her mission. Follow Roza on her quest through the province. From the Hall of States, via the Nano lab to the museum: Roza discovers the province does a lot more than she thought!

Roza & OverijsselDemocracy in action