Proposals on aid to listed property owners later this year

Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco told Parliament yesterday that he would be presenting the Cabinet, later this year, with proposals on practical ways to help owners of scheduled buildings maintain their properties. Such proposals would affect over 2,000 listed buildings.

Presenting the motion for the House to approve Mepa's financial estimates for 2010, Dr de Marco said this year, Mepa had scheduled 72 other historical properties, including the military barracks at Pembroke and the San Mattew tal-Maqluba chapel.

He said that although Mepa was seen by many as being the agency which issued building permits, it was the watchdog for the safeguarding of the built-up, natural and historical environment. This entailed the present reform which was being discussed by Parliament at committee stage.

Development Control Commissions were replaced by Environment and Planning Commissions working full time to increase efficiency and scrutiny. The process for choosing members on the Appeals Board was at an advanced stage.

Dr de Marco said that the bill would bring into force actions which safeguarded scheduled sites which showed the authority's determination not to recognise illegality. Mepa was responsible also for monitoring development applications for sites with archaeological remains. He said 27 archaeological finds were made last year.

The Mepa policy reform commission had concluded its work and the forward planning unit had studied the recommendations and was at an advanced stage in their implementation. Regulations on imposing heavy penalties to serve as a deterrent for disrespecting the environment were in the final stage.

There was agreement with the opposition to appoint an Environment and Planning Commissioner forming part of the Office of the Ombudsman to replace the Mepa audit officer.

He announced that 45 new employees would join the directorate for environmental protection by next year increasing the workforce by 50 per cent.

The directorate monitors 200 different regulations to reach and surpass EU standards. The number of infringements according to EU standards, which stood at 26 in 2006 decreased to six this year

Dr de Marco said that the multilateral and European affairs section with Mepa had managed to get €12 million from the EU for 90 projects. A decision would be taken next week on a proposal for a plan on the Natura 2000 site at Xemxija costing €6 million.

The European Commission had certified that Maltese coastal waters and bays were excellent or good in environmental terms and 99 per cent of these exceeded EU standards. This certification was given after the government had taken drastic action to treat liquid waste. This was a marked improvement on the certification given by the EU some years ago which amounted to only 33 percent of Maltese seas and bays. Mepa was also monitoring the quality of the air and was looking forward to get similar certification for cleaner air.

Waste management regulations assured sustainability. Seventy inspections had been made and four new Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control permits were issued while another five were being processed. Mepa had last year issued 1,900 environmental permits. Work was underway to make quarries conform to EU directives.

Mepa was also working on bio-diversity and six new Natura 2000 ecological sites were declared protection areas. These sites increased the sites covered by the Natura 2000 network to 13 per cent of the national territory. Four marine protected areas were to form part of Natura 2000. These included sites at Dwejra, Mġarr ix-Xini, the Filfla environs and areas to the northeast of Malta and Gozo including Comino. Mepa had applied for €6 million for setting and implementing management action plans for Natura 2000 sites up to 2014.

Mepa was also holding monthly meetings with NGOs. A cultural change was in progress among Mepa officials. This year Mepa had already concluded 91 EIAs. There were less applications for permissions to build outside development zones and urban conservation areas

Dr de Marco said that Mepa was to strengthen enforcement and a new director for the enforcement directorate was to be appointed soon. This directorate had made 11,000 inspections, was processing 7,000 compliance certificate requests and had issued 900 enforcement notices, of which 500 resulted in immediate compliance with no further action needed.

In 2009, action was taken to remove 95 illegal structures. These included the removal of three illegal scrapyards at Xewkija, Nadur and Birżebbuġa.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that Mepa was to become self-sufficient and a legal notice revising such fees would be published in the coming days. He said that under a Labour government, the then Environment Minister George Vella had declared that Mepa should generate enough profit to live without the government subvention.

Dr de Marco said that Mepa fees had never increased in 20 years and did not reflect today's administrative expenses. He concluded that Mepa was addressing its needs and achieving new strengths.

Labour spokesmen Leo Brincat and Roderick Galdes and Nationalist MPs Philip Mifsud and Franco Debono also took part in the debate.

A vote asked by the opposition will be taken at a later date.