Vibrant, safe local communities
Photo: Oleh_Slobodeniuk/iStock
The key to the development of North Norway lies in ensuring that people in the region have not just something to live on, but also something to live for. Safe, well-functioning local communities are essential for maintaining settlement patterns and activity levels.
Access to basic services
There is a great need for labour and skills in both the public and the private sectors in the north. Priority is being given to measures that make the region more attractive to young adults and families with children. The Government is also working to increase access to flexible, varied and decentralised educational options that allow young people to live at home for longer and enable them to forge ties with local businesses, including in sparsely populated areas where there are long distances between communities and economic centres.
In order to provide reliable, accessible health care, coordination between hospitals and municipal health services has been strengthened. Effective municipal health and care services are a key component in enhancing people’s sense of security and quality of life and ensuring equitable access across the country. High-speed broadband and mobile networks can be used to maintain decentralised health services and reduce the need for patients to travel a long way for routine consultations. To reduce travel costs for patients and increase health service efficiency, the Government will establish a pilot scheme to cover more of the travel costs incurred by patients within the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority.
Promoting cultural life and building identity in local communities
North Norway is home to diverse communities with considerable linguistic and cultural differences. Harassment and discrimination of the Sámi population are still a problem. The Government will take steps to increase knowledge of and expertise on Sámi and Kven language and culture, with a view to promoting reconciliation and understanding. The Government has allocated more funding to enhance knowledge of health and living conditions among the Sámi population and promote Sámi cultural transmission. Sámi people are to have access to information in their own language.
The Government will work to expand local sports activities and reduce participation costs, and will encourage increased participation in cultural activities. The Government has built a number of cultural centres in North Norway and provides support to cultural organisations, museums and theatrical institutions. The Government also supports international cultural cooperation initiatives such as Pikene på Broen , the Dáiddadállu Sámi artist network in Kautokeino, the BarentsKult cultural grant programme and the Arctic Arts Summit collaborative platform.
The Government will give priority to participating in the EU’s Interreg programmes as a means of supporting regional cooperation across national borders and local development in the High North. We will continue to take part in the North Atlantic Cooperation (NORA), where knowledge sharing and cooperation between small-scale stakeholders promote development at the local level.
Strong municipalities that provide safety and security
Well-functioning municipalities provide the local population with access to high-quality education and welfare services, housing and jobs. Adequate governance and implementation capacity in the municipal sector is essential to achieve social development, provide housing, deliver statutory services, and maintain emergency preparedness. The Government will facilitate improved coordination and cooperation between municipalities, counties and county governors to ensure more effective use of public resources and strengthen governance, planning and restructuring capacity in the municipalities.
The Government is considering new models for cooperation between municipalities, between different administrative levels and through special rural growth agreements. This will involve amending the regulatory framework to facilitate more effective cooperation. The goal is to encourage joint problem-solving and service development. The Government is seeking to ensure that the joint efforts of counties, county governors and other national authorities vis-à-vis the municipalities are well coordinated and strengthen the municipalities and intermunicipal cooperation.
The housing stock rebuilt after the end of World War II, when all the buildings in Finnmark and northern Troms were burned to the ground, was uniform and is now ageing. These houses are rarely put on the market, and few new houses are being built. The Government will strengthen efforts to enhance the quality and functionality of the housing stock and increase residential construction.