Ørsta and Volda Move Ahead with Merger

The latest news from Møre og Romsdal over the past 48 hours has been dominated by the decisions by the municipal councils of Ørsta and Volda to continue work on a merger, a financial sanction involving Ålesund and a local project for connected landline phones. Miscellaneous news from Todalen and Eresfjord is gathered at the end of the article.

Local politics: the latest news from Møre og Romsdal in Ørsta and Volda

Volda municipal council voted in favour of continuing plans for a merger with Ørsta by 28 votes to 2 (NRK Møre og Romsdal). In Ørsta, the yes vote prevailed by 19 votes to 14. The two municipalities had already rejected a merger in 2016 in a vote among residents. This time, the elected representatives are not yet taking a position on the principle of a merger: they are only deciding to continue working on the plans. Ørsta mayor Per Are Sørheim (H) said he was ready to convene a joint meeting of the municipal councils. “I am very pleased about this,” he said after the vote (NRK Møre og Romsdal).

NRK Møre og Romsdal points out that 4 hours separated the start of the meeting and the result of the vote. In Volda, the yes vote had a clear majority; in Ørsta, opposition is stronger. The process therefore remains open, and the two municipalities must now clarify how the work will continue. The source stresses that the issue concerns continuing the plans, not immediate approval of the merger (NRK Møre og Romsdal).

Ålesund Ordered to Cover Healthcare Costs

The courts have established that Ålesund must pay the costs related to the admission and care of a multiply disabled man (NRK Møre og Romsdal). For years, several municipalities passed the financial responsibility for this case back and forth among themselves. The court decision ends this situation by naming Ålesund as the paying municipality. The source does not specify the exact amount, but mentions a « millionrekning », a bill running into millions of kroner (NRK Møre og Romsdal).

This decision affects the organisation of social services and the distribution of costs among the municipalities of Møre og Romsdal county. It comes as Sunnmørsposten reported on 12 November that a debt of 12 billion kroner was causing concern, and quoted the phrase « Vi bygger for dyrt » (Sunnmørsposten). The two issues are not presented as being connected by the sources, but they illustrate the financial pressures in the municipalities covered by the newspaper.

Innovation: a landline phone in the shape of a bird

Two young parents of young children want to put the landline phone at the centre of the home (NRK Møre og Romsdal). Their project, presented by Even Nord Rydningen, is based on two elements: a wooden box with bird-inspired patterns, and a colourful 22 cm bird made from recycled plastic, with Norwegian technology inside. The idea is that the mobile phone is placed in the box when coming home; the landline then connects automatically.

« Vi må lage eit design som du har lyst til å bruke. Noko som er vakkert. Noko som inviterer til samtale », says Even Nord Rydningen (NRK Møre og Romsdal). A professor quoted by the source is, however, sceptical. The project is not presented as a product already commercialised.

Decisions and the economy in the county

Sunnmørsposten reported on 12 November that a vote was in favour of the “Ålesundsmeteren” and that the decision was followed by “jubel” (Sunnmørsposten). In the indexed headline, the newspaper does not provide details of the scheme. On the same day, Romsdals Budstikke reported that a company in Molde is making acquisitions abroad (Romsdals Budstikke, 12 November, 21:00). The newspaper also reported a new partnership to attract more people to the slopes (Romsdals Budstikke, 12 November, 20:00).

Romsdals Budstikke also reported that a party prevailed after a construction dispute and said it was “kjempeglad og lettet” (Romsdals Budstikke, 12 November, 19:00). These decisions add to the political and financial issues occupying the municipalities of Møre og Romsdal this week.

📌 Local briefs

A landslide at Bratteberg in Todalen in the municipality of Aure cut off the road and isolated the village; one person was airlifted to St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim (NRK Møre og Romsdal). The incident occurred during work to secure the area against rockfalls, according to the police.

In Eresfjord, 10 people who were in the school sports hall had to evacuate after flames emerged from a ceramics kiln (NRK Møre og Romsdal).

A Nordmøre general practitioner lost a court case after being dismissed by the municipality; substitutes had discovered cancer test results that had gone unactioned for months (NRK Møre og Romsdal).

Sunnmørsposten reported again on 12 November that passengers had been stuck at the airport for more than 10 hours and that a police operation resulted in 19 fines in 3 hours on the route to the ferry (Sunnmørsposten).

Sources: NRK Møre og Romsdal, Sunnmørsposten, Romsdals Budstikke, The Local Norway — Period: 12 November 2026 and 13 November 2026