This year promises to be an eventful one for environment and planning. Parliament is set to discuss the Strategic Plan for Environment and Planning in the weeks to come. This vision, setting the context for development and planning for the next 10, possibly 20 years, should have been set months ago.
We are now at a point where a vision must reflect recently approved policies, as opposed to reflecting our country’s needs from a holistic view. Architecture and planning students have experienced an excellent case study of reverse planning – doing things in a parochial manner.
On the other hand, this might be the last time Parliament will be able to discuss the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development in view of the proposals for the separation of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. It pains me to see my country going back to the old times, when the minister acts like he has it all, whose absolute power is such that he can singlehandedly tweak a country’s planning vision, perhaps according to his constituents’ needs!
Last week the Environment Minister admitted that, pretty much like everyone else, he became aware of a general planning amnesty through the media. This came as a big surprise. How can one effectively do their job in a Cabinet of ministers when left completely in the dark on an issue that directly affects their portfolio? In spite of being the Opposition representative on the Mepa board, I too, like almost everybody else including the Environment Minister, got to know of this amnesty through this newspaper. Leo Brincat might as well cross the aisle and come sit on the Opposition benches.
While criticism may be due, one can’t expect any better from a government that deems itself to be the ‘most transparent’ and listening, but is in truth the total opposite. The difference, however, is that while I am an Opposition member, Brincat is a Cabinet member, or let’s say he should be. And I will not blame the Environment Minister for this shenanigan. It must be very difficult for him to serve as the voice of the environment, when his peers simply are uninterested.
On the other hand, Mepa falls under the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister, and there is little doubt he was also unaware of all this. Why has the Prime Minister bothered to appoint an Environment Minister in the first place, when it is now clear to all that the environment is not a priority for this government, perhaps not even an item on its to-do list.
The Environment Minister admitted that, pretty much like everyone else, he became aware of a general planning amnesty through the media
The Opposition will take a stand on the amnesty when the government decides to make us privy of the details. Until that time comes, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has already stated that minor planning offences with a minimal impact on the environment and the quality of life of third parties will be acceptable. This was, in fact, one of the proposals in the Nationalist Party’s electoral manifesto. But this does not mean the Opposition will become an accomplice in the sanctioning of environmental travesties. We will not.
We have learnt the lesson that under the former Nationalist administration, Mepa had become insensitive to petty issues, which in truth do not create an environmental deficit but which would render lives easier. We have also learnt that Mepa might have been hijacked by individuals with ulterior motives. There is no other way how one can justify a number of development applications which were recommended for refusal some years ago, but have since become acceptable.
A few days ago, however, marked another dip to Mepa’s credibility as an independent authority. This newspaper published a story of illegal works being undertaken by the government in an outside development site in Mosta. It was shocking to read that Mepa had ignored complaints by residents, and subsequently by the local council, but acted once a Times of Malta journalist called in to question. Thank goodness we have the media, for Mepa seems to have become insensitive to individual reports but is afraid of media reports.
What’s worse is Mepa’s press release defending illegal works following the media report and the Opposition’s press conference. There is no doubt that the government had acted in an illegal fashion in undertaking excavation works. The photos clearly show that the composition of the cross section of the excavated material included rock-cutting. The authority’s contradictory statement is such that in one paragraph it says the works were not stopped, while in another said it requested the necessary permits from the government.
Mepa, like the Environment Minister, is slowly but surely losing sight of what it should be. The authority must be independent and duty-bound to serve the law. It is instead serving the government’s agenda, as in the case of illegal works on a minister’s farmhouse in Żejtun. This is an application which should have been dismissed right away in the light of media coverage which clearly showed ongoing works at a time when the authority was considering sanctioning the works.
The refusal handed down last week gives the impression that the authority acted too late, after succumbing to legitimate criticism. Mepa is supposed to be the environmental watchdog. Instead, we have ended up being its watchdog. This is the result of a relationship where an authority and a government with ‘zero environmental credentials’ become one.
Ryan Callus is the Opposition spokesman on the environment, land, planning and the infrastructure.