Promises White Paper on Land-Use Policy

Politicians in Finnmark, Northern Norway, have criticized the Norwegian government for deprioritizing the region in regard to power, critical infrastructure and industrial development.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Bjørnar Skjæran, the Støre government's High North policy has been described as all words and no action in the North. What will you do to improve the power situation?

"There is no doubt that the development of the electricity grid and renewable power is an area that has been neglected for a long time. To the Conservative Party mayors who are now speaking out loudly and sternly, I would recommend that they also direct criticism at their own party", says Skjæran (Labor).

"The reality is that while we are in the process of building a 420-kilovolt line (kV) to Varangerbotn, nothing happened during the eight years the Conservatives were in power".

Broken promise

But the construction of a 420 kV line between Skaidi and Varangerbotn/Seida will not be completed until 2034, four years later than first announced. In addition, considerations related to reindeer and the lesser white-fronted goose may cause costs to rise to NOK 9.3 billion, six times the planned amount.

The County Mayor of Finnmark, Hans-Jacob Bønå (Conservative), has called the delay a serious breach of the government's own promises.

"Building grid capacity takes time, and that is nothing new. I am impatient myself; it takes too long. But the Minister of Energy has taken several steps to speed up the processes, and we have reached the point where a license has been granted to Lebesby", says the minister of local government when we meet him during the Kirkenes Conference in the Norwegian Arctic, shortly before he is due on stage.

He adds that the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has received a clear message to prioritize further work in Eastern Finnmark.

Skjæran says it is understandable to feel that these processes take a long time, but that the Støre government is at least doing something.

Using the legislation

Is it possible to cut through with regard to land-use conflicts? Projects in Finnmark appear to be stopped by either the lesser white-fronted goose, plants or reindeer husbandry. What about using the Security Act, as the mayor of Hammerfest wants?

"As a starting point, we must use the legislation we have. A minority government must adhere to the legislation given to us by parliament. We have taken many steps to increase the pace, and we must do it in the best possible way", says Skjæran.

He says that he has had a consultation meeting with the Sami Parliament, where he was "very clear that it is not a question of whether the power line will be built, because it will be."

"It is about finding the method that has the least negative impact on matters that are important to us as a nation, whether that is the environment, nature or reindeer husbandry. There are the processes we must deal with in a democracy, and we are trying to increase the pace," promises the minister of local government.

White paper on land-use policy

Does the reindeer husbandry industry have too much power?

"I don't think that is the right way to put it. It may be perceived that way. But the parliament has given the Sami parliament the power to object, but an objection is not a veto. It triggers a new process and finally, the national authorities decide the outcome," says Skjæran.

"I am concerned with maintaining a vital democracy. But we will present a white paper on land-use policy. It is high time after decades without a comprehensive review."

Pace

Without revealing the contents of the white paper, tempo will also be a theme here.

"Something that is important to me regarding land-use policy is that we need to increase the pace. Because it is going too slowly. We have to look at how we can better organize ourselves", says the Labor politician

"In addition, we are working on a project on objections, in which the county governors are given a greater role in coordinating state objections to provide greater predictability and efficiency in those processes," says the Labor politician.

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He says there is also a strong commitment to this in parliament.

"I think it is very good that both the Conservative and the Progress Party are now supporting the government's work."

In line for wind power

How is it possible to build renewable power, such as wind power, in Northern Norway? If there is one thing we have in abundance, it is untapped wind.

"There are currently ten wind power cases up for consultation, which illustrates that people are trying to get something done. Everyone knows that we do not need all ten, nor will all ten be approved. But at least we have got these processes underway, which was not the case when we came into government," says the minister.

"We must simply await NVE in these matters, which is the licensing authority."

Withdrew the application

The Rubbedalshøgda wind power plant in the municipalities of Berlevåg and Båtsfjord withdrew its application this winter due precisely to uncertainty surrounding power grid solutions in Eastern Finnmark.

The fact is that power projects line up at the NVE for several years. 

"These are processes that take some time. But I want us to increase the pace of this, and that is part of the reason why we will present a white paper on land-use policy to the parliament," says Skjæran.

Border policy

The Mayor of Sør-Varanger, Magnus Mæland (Conservative), accuses the government of handing the job to local politicians, who are supposed to handle local matters. That he has to handle foreign, defense and geopolitical issues concerning Russia and is doing the government's job. What do you say to that?"

"I do not quite understand what he is referring to. The government is responsible for foreign and defense policy. We have gone to parliament with the most ambitious long-term plan for the defense sector in modern Norwegian history and managed to unite a unanimous parliament for it. That is historic," says Skjæran.

"Currently, the parliament is discussing the long-term plan, negotiating the proposal we have presented, which is about reviewing the long-term plan because costs are increasing, and we need to look at how we can organize this. And I have both hope, faith and an expectation that we can gather a broad political majority behind the plan, because it means a great deal to us as a nation."

He says Norway’s unity is being noticed beyond its borders.

"The fact that we are unanimous while facing the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War is being noticed far beyond Norway's borders.  So, I do not quite understand what Mæland means, but my message is very simple. Facing as serious a situation as the world does now, everyone must take the responsibility they have at their own level. The government has no plans to make either defense or foreign policy a municipal matter," Skjæran states.