Nature Trust regrets timing of Mepa decisions

Nigel Lawrence

Feb 5th 2010, 18:35

mega projects are still being considered by the Mepa board.--- When something is owned by the contractors, this is to be totally expected.

Patrick Zahra

Feb 5th 2010, 18:07

Yesterday, in an article in The Times, another Nationalist MP,Mr Jesmond Mugliett, expressed his concern regarding the above issue and regarding the way this government is neglecting our health and the environment in persisting in his irresponsible decision to fuel the Delimara plant with HFO. Despite protests from residents, most NGO's , the opposition and a considerable number of Nationalist MP's and activists the government persists in his folly!

Doreen Spiteri

Feb 5th 2010, 18:04

@ John Ebejer But why, pray, will you not comment on the applications to which Nature Trust refers? Could you possibly harbour any doubts as to the correctness of the decisions taken? And why don’t you enlighten us on the ‘limited ! (my exclamation mark) number of cases’ in which the use of policy was improper? Of course we would be glad to hear your expert opinion as to whether they were in fact ‘real or perceived’. And lastly, some might interpret your last para as saying “Better a quick decision than a correct one”. But I can’t imagine you mean this, did you?

Joe Azzopardi

Feb 5th 2010, 16:21

@Mr John Ebejer
“Current legislation has worked well since the latest legal amendments were carried out in 2000” I, and most of Malta, beg to differ. The improper use of policy is much real. And the number of cases, even if limited were much more that this country could take.

The last thing anyone should suggest is that applications should be rushed through before a proper national planning body is in place (if such a thing will ever happen).

Angelo Baldacchino

Feb 5th 2010, 12:26

I can't understand how the authroities in Malta do not consider at all such statements. Marsaxlokk Bay was a safe-haven of nature and scenery, nowadays it has become a tragic hell.

john ebejer

Feb 5th 2010, 12:26

I will not comment on the applications to which Nature Trust refer to. I disagree, however, with their suggestion that the processing of any application should be delayed on the grounds that changes to MEPA legislation are imminent.

Current legislation has worked well since the latest legal amendments were carried out in 2000. Recent controversies arose not because there was a particular problem with the legislation but because of the improper, real or perceived, use of policy in a limited number of cases. Current legislation already provides for a sufficiently thorough assessment of all applications and therefore, as far as I am aware, there is nothing in the proposed new legislation which provides for a more thorough assessment of large projects.

One of the problems of the current development application process is the delay that results from various factors. The last thing anyone should suggest is the introduction of more delays which are unnecessary.

John Ebejer
Chairman
Building Industry Consultative Council

mario gellel

Feb 5th 2010, 12:03

MEPA IS JUST AN INVENTED WORD BY GONZIPN TO BE USED WHEN THE PN GOVT WANTS TO SELL(?), IMPLEMENT OR GAIN. WASTED HARD TAXES MONEY ON SALARIES ON "IL- HBIEB" TAL- PN.. (HOKLI DARI U NHOKK TIEGHEK )

joe gatt

Feb 5th 2010, 11:39

Maraxlokk bay marine life was destroyed in two months, when dredging started, material was dumped mainly in three locations, as there were not enough barges to transport the silt, sand and rock, this was at Delimara beneath the Light House, at St Lucian Tower and Pretty Bay to the End of the Cold War Monument, this killed of all the Posedonia at that location, still remember thousands upon thousands of crabs roaming the road there, eventually to die in the heat. Calm weather persisted for 2 months, causing a thick layer of fine silt to smother most of what was left, when eventually rough weather arrived, destruction was complete. Now sand is continuosly shifting, nature trying to balance itself again. Nature took thousands of years to create the environment in the Bay, man destroyed it in mere seconds. The time it took someone, to put pen to paper to authorize this sad event, all this thanks to Saudi oil money and I wonder what else??? To add insult to injury the sea water smells of rancid fish oil, fish farming a major polluter. Constant sand shifting means regular dredging, so the saga goes on.

I Cassar

Feb 5th 2010, 11:06

Birdlife, as is often the case, are right and it applies to the Sea-bank extension too.

The need for the reform is equivalent to the admission by government that things were, and still are, not working well at MEPA. The unfortunate thing is that it seems that, reform and all, things will continue to work badly. Such applications should have been postponed to the post reform period.

We thought that the shameful exercise called “Rationalisation of Development Zones” instigated by Mr Pullicino had at least defined once and for all where the development line should stop.

The sad truth is that it is political interference that keeps eroding MEPA's reputation. I wonder if the new PL Movement envisaged by Joseph Muscat would change things. It is had that they can get any worst.

mario gellel

Feb 5th 2010, 10:56

@NATURE TRUST, PLEASE DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NOT MEPA THAT TIMED IT BUT THE DUO Dr. GONZI AND AUSTIN. MEPA IS JUST A WORD AND NOTHING ELSE.
IT'S HARD TO SWALLOW, BUT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT WE ARE BEING GOVERNED BY A REGIME, NO MORE NO LESS.

J Oatmon

Feb 5th 2010, 09:44

MEPA is a can of worms, but not the only one in Malta; we are also lumbered with the disgraceful VAT, ADT, the mickey mouse legal system, unenforcement of hunting laws, etc, etc.

When will someone in government clean out the rotten apples in these 'cans of worms' and give the jobs to decent people, instead of political incompetents.