Debate post This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
How many are promised berth on Bokerøya and in Homansbergbukta? A bold question you might say, but for those of us who know the course of history, it appears to be a fair and reasonable question.
Our elected officials must this and next week will decide which area inputs are to be taken out of Drammen’s new area plan, and which inputs they will still have to fight to get forward. The state administrator and other important state bodies have had many objections, that is, protests against development in important natural areas.
Will the Chairmanship i Drammen meet the State Administrator’s objections in this nationally important area? Are our elected officials going to facilitate more destruction through piece-by-piece demolition? I am very worried. The Conservative Party and the Progressive Party have previously fronted many more boat berths in this area.
Chairmanship/Municipal Board
* The chairmanship in Drammen consists of 15 representatives.
* Number of representatives: Conservative Party 4, Labor Party 4, Progressive Party 3, Green Party 1, Pensioners Party 1, Liberal Party 1, SV 1.
* The chairmanship is a case-preparatory body for the municipal council. However, the municipal board has the opportunity to delegate significant decision-making authority to the chairmanship – within the limits set in the legislation.
* The next meeting of the chairmanship in Drammen is 30 April.
* The municipal board is the highest political governing body in Norway’s municipalities, and is elected in direct elections for four years at a time in what are known as municipal council and county council elections.
* The municipal council in Drammen municipality has 57 representatives.
* In Drammen, the four parties Høyre, Fremskrittspartiet, KrF and the Pensioners’ Party have a majority.
* Other parties with representatives in the municipal council are the Labor Party, Venstre, MDG, SV, the Center Party, Rødt, the Center Party and the Drammen INP (Industrti and Næringspartiet). There is also an independent representative in the municipal council.
* The next meeting of the municipal council in Drammen is 7 May.
Source: Great Norwegian Lexicon / DT
Homansbergbukta is one nationally important river delta with streams carrying sea trout. The bay, located by Bokerøya, contains endangered habitat types that are important food reserves and safe hiding places for cod and sea trout spawn. In addition, the area is an important resting place for the birds in Grunnane Nature Reserve, – one of Norway’s most important seabird reserves. Ospreys, whooper swans and other seabirds do not understand a blue or red line drawn on a map.
I see that as an important prerequisite that all elected officials in Drammen municipality have been informed of the first sub-goal of the Nature Agreement to which Norway has committed itself:
“All areas must be managed in a way that safeguards nature, and areas of great importance for natural diversity must not be lost.”
The municipal director recommends to withdraw the input on the development of a marina with 1,000 berths in Homansbergbukta, against the background of the State Administrator’s and the county council’s objections. The investigations show major negative consequences for nature and the water environment.
The post continues below the map
However, the municipal director writes further in his recommendation to the Chairman’s meeting on 30 April: “There is an approved plan for a small boat harbor nearby (i.e. Bokerøya) which should be implemented before it is relevant to further reduce endangered habitat types.”
The municipal director opens here the door wide open for decommissioning – bit by bit?
After what I have understood, Bokerøya’s owners have been under illegality follow-up for over a year due to illegal bulk filling. At the inspection in Drammen municipality, we residents can see that follow-up on illegality was put on hold in October 2023, pending an application from the owners to nevertheless be allowed to use the illegal masses that were brought onto the property. The state administrator put the foot down for floating piers in the same case because of the vulnerable nature types, i.e. the same objections as in the input to the spatial plan – highly threatened species. Nevertheless, the floating jetties are still clearly visible in Homansbergbukta for everyone who uses these areas.
As I understand it both daily fines and fines disappeared With a magical municipal brushstroke, and the illegalities could continue. Now it’s not illegal anymore? Now a license has been applied for?
More debate posts and chronicles
It is rather not to hide that Drammen Eiendom has been trying to sell the municipality’s property, Grunnane business area, nearest neighbor to Grunnane nature reserve, for a long time. Should compensatory measures be taken in the next round, in this heavily polluted area, to get 1,000 boat spaces in Homansbergbukta?
In that case it is osprey, whooper swans, vipers, ducks, cod and sea trout shoals in Drammen municipality.
We are many who are cheering for Drammen to achieve its vision of becoming the country’s greenest municipality. But to become a big fish, you must first survive the spawning phase. Nobody wants the gang in “Nytt på nytt” to mess with the country’s “greenest” municipality, – in the sense of the word: inexperienced and immature.
Drammen’s elected representative, me urge you: Don’t just think about yourselves and those who want the most profit, think also about the vulnerable species that live in these areas, and about the generations that come after us.
The people do not own the earth, we belong to it, and we only decide in our time.
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