Valdivia Mayor Defends Wetlands: Amtmann Challenges Poduje, Asserts Land Availability for Housing

The Mayor of Valdivia, Carla Amtmann (FA), confronted the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Iván Poduje, after he claimed that the protection of wetlands has left the capital of the Los Ríos Region with no land available for housing development.

The local leader responded with concrete data and challenged the state secretary for “not understanding the reality” of the city.

During a session of the Chamber of Deputies held on March 25, the minister of José Antonio Kast’s government ignited concerns in southern Chile with his diagnosis.

In response to remarks from deputy Omar Sabat, who warned of difficulties in land availability for housing in Valdivia, and how soil conditions had led to multi-story housing solutions, the state secretary not only supported that claim but further linked the scarcity directly to the legal protection of urban wetlands.

In his remarks, Poduje referred to the few alternatives that, in his view, currently exist in the municipality.

“In Valdivia, we have land in Guacamayo, which is running out, and in Las Ánimas there are also limited options,” he stated before the Chamber.

He also criticized the current environmental regulations:

“The wetlands defined in Valdivia, due to a misinterpretation of the wetlands law, cover almost the entire city,” he said, adding that due to this situation, families are now “unable to purchase land” for housing.

According to El Mostrador, Poduje pointed to a state-owned area in the “Bueras regiment,” where, he claimed, the final procedures with National Assets are being completed, with plans for the construction of multi-story housing.

Mayor Amtmann: «We Have Suitable, Non-Floodable, Available Land»

Mayor Carla Amtmann wasted no time in delivering a strong rebuttal. Not only did she dispute the diagnosis, but she also expressed concern that “a Housing Minister does not understand our city’s reality, and that he would communicate information that is not aligned with reality.”

The local authority emphasized that, contrary to perceptions, hard data contradicts the secretary of state’s version and clearly shows the existence of available land.

«The information is objective and the reality is that there are over 140 hectares available within our operational territory,” she asserted, in statements collected by El Mostrador.

In her response, Amtmann suggested a shift in approach. She argued that “rather than using the housing challenge to criticize the protection of wetlands,” the focus should be on allocating resources to build “where we have suitable, non-floodable, available land.”

140 Hectares Available Within Valdivia’s Operational Territory

According to a report from the Municipality of Valdivia, the data reveals that there is indeed land suitable for housing construction.

Both studies from the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC) and the most recent analysis conducted by the Municipality alongside Déficit Cero confirm the availability of 341.8 hectares of fallow and soft sites in the urban area. Of this total, 141.18 hectares, which amounts to 60.68%, are located within the operational territory of the sanitary company, enhancing its technical feasibility.

In the document, the Municipality of Valdivia emphasized the urgency of developing well-located and urbanized lands and indicated that the solution does not lie in expanding into areas at environmental risk, but rather in efficiently managing the more than 140 hectares available within its operational territory.

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