The PN has accused the government of ignoring the environment after Environment Minister Leo Brincat admitted in an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta that his ministry was not consulted in the revision of the policy on development outside development zones (ODZ).
Charlo’ Bonnici, the PN spokesman on the environment said that with the environment minister not having been consulted, one could only imagine how the new environment authority would be ignored. This also confirmed what the opposition said last week that with the separation of planning and the environment into two authorities, the environment would be relegated.
Indeed, had Mr Brincat been consulted on the reform? What would he, his ministry and the new authority do to ensure that they were not rendered toothless when there was environmental abuse?