https://www.nrk.no/vestland/staten-vil-bevare-verdsarv-i-utlandet_-men-ikkje-i-noreg-1.16766212

An article by Ole Kristian Svalheim on nrk.no - The state wants to preserve world heritage abroad, but not in Norway - reports on Norway's decision, through the Oil Fund, to take action to preserve the 40,000-year-old rock art in Indonesia, and yet in Norway itself the state has given the green light for development in the rock carving area.

In 2022, Indonesian mining company Semen Tonasa was put on a three-year watch list due to the risk of damaging prehistoric cultural heritage, initiated by the Norwegian Oil Fund. The mining operation is in an area that threatens the 40,000-year-old rock art of Maros-Pangkep in South Sulawesi, considered to be some of the oldest rock art in the world.

This week, a Norwegian cultural monument is in the news after the Ministry of Local Government and Districts approved a quarry on the mountain peak Aksla in Bremanger in Vestland.

Steinbrotet is located close to the Vingen rock carving field, which is the second largest rock carving field in Norway and one of the largest in Northern Europe, with over 2,000 figures. It is alarming that the government put prehistoric petroglyphs at risk, at the same time that the Oil Fund put an Indonesian company on the watch list because of their operations in Indonesia, according to Alfred Bjørlo, parliamentary representative for the Liberal Party.

It is not the first time that Norway 'meets itself at the door' when it comes to contributions to Indonesia. In December, it became clear that Norway is paying a record sum of NOK 1.1 billion to save the rainforest in the Asian archipelago. At the same time, the government hesitated to invest in Norwegian forest protection. There they first retreated after massive protests from forest owners, environmental organizations and parts of the opposition. SV has done excellent work. Without their efforts we would not have achieved this, says managing director Per Skorge of the Norwegian Forest Owners' Association.

The fact that the state gave the go-ahead for development in the Vingen field has received international attention. The ICOMOS president has contacted the municipal and district minister Erling Sande (Sp) about the project in Bremanger. Erling Sande does not think that it is a paradox that Norway is taking action for the cultural heritage in Indonesia, whilst at the same time allowing the quarrying near the Vingen field. The planned quarrying will not take place in the petroglyph field. It will take place five kilometers away, where such a stone quarry already exists today, says Sande. The minister points out that they have taken the Vingen field into account in the assessments. This is an acceptable intervention, he says.

The University of Bergen, which owns and manages the Vingen field, does not agree with this. This new quarry is closer to the Vingen field than the existing quarry. In addition, there will be a new shipping area that is closer, which will bring with it a lot of dust, noise and ship traffic, says Trond Lødøen, professor at UiB.

Near the approved Aksla quarry is also Northern Europe's highest sea cliff: Hornelen. The government proposed in 2021 to make Hornelen a National Park. From the top at 860 m. can be seen right at the approved quarry. Establishing a national park with a view of a quarry is like serving a piece of cake on a plate with brown sauce, says Steffen Lofnes to Firdaposten.

Lofnes runs Hornelen Panorama and invests in nature-based tourism. He gets support from Jan Petter Solvang, who has moved back home, who is against Sande's decision. "I think you have to go way back in time for a few workplaces to do shitting in their own nests. What will be next? The first person who offers 50 jobs gets to take the Hornelen?", writes Solvang in a chronicle. Erling Sande disagrees with those who believe that the government is behind when it comes to the conservation of unique areas and nature in Norway. We must make a holistic assessment, and some area must be put to use for value creation and settlement, says the Minister for Municipalities and Districts.

It is important to lodge your opposition to this development, raise awareness, disseminate knowledge about the threat to cultural heritage and the environment, and encourage collective efforts to halt the quarry project.

Please consider signing the petition to halt this develpment, which can be found here:
Click here for the signature campaign

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