Ended up in the middle of political drama: - I was shocked

Elisabeth Kolnes and her husband have become part of a political drama at the Storting. It could end up with a house dream being shattered.

Elisabeth Kolnes and her husband were allowed to build in the beach zone at Lista in Farsund municipality. A year later, the State Administrator overturned the decision.

She grew up in the area. - We never thought we would become part of the social debate in this way, says Elisabeth Kolnes. On Østhasselstrand in Farsund, she and her husband Svend Erik Horg have been given permission to build a house in the 100-metre belt.

Between the plot and the lake there is a road and a couple of boathouses. There are residential buildings on both sides of the plot. The area was thus developed to the extent that Farsund municipality agreed to build.

They did this by granting a dispensation from the ban on building in the beach zone. - We think the municipality did a very thorough job in this case, says Svend Erik Horg. Elisabeth Kolnes and her husband Svend Erik Horg are considering moving to Lista in the long term.

Here they are on their way up to the property where they want to build. Farsund municipality approved the house plans in May 2025 without it causing much attention. Nor from the State Administrator.

But in the same year, the local politicians in Farsund gave a similar dispensation, which was to receive far greater attention. Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun and her family were also allowed to build in the beach zone. After Dagens Næringsliv wrote about the case, the State Administrator carried out a thorough review of cases where the municipalities in Agder had granted dispensation to build.

Statsforvaltaren i Agder har oppheva fleire vedtak. Mellom anna ny hytte i Blindleia (øverst) og ny hytte til Kari Nessa Nordtun sin familie i Farsund. Dei fann fleire feil og manglar og fire vedtak blei oppheva i tillegg til saka til Nessa Nordtun. d.

The municipality has done a thorough job and we are surprised that the State Administrator comes in so late and changes the decision, says Elisabeth Kolnes. She grew up nearby. She and her husband now live in Oslo, but are considering moving to Lista in Farsund in the long term.

In the meantime, it is intended that her parents will live in the house - We would like to have a place here on Lista. - We were very shocked, says Elisabeth Kolnes about the decision from the State Administrator. The case has gone to the Storting.

The state administrator has put the spotlight on a practice where the beach zone was built down bit by bit. But after they decided to cancel several decisions, the spotlight turned on the State Administrator. - It should be considered rare that the Storting intervenes, but here it was actually necessary, says Haagen Poppe (H), Storting representative from Agder.

The Storting decided before the summer that the developments that had been stopped by the State Administrator could just as well be carried out. It includes both Nessa Nordtun, Elisabeth Kolnes and three other decisions.