Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg said this evening that at the government's request, the authority had pointed to two sites for the proposed new university - San Leonardo and nearby Zonqor Point, and it indicated the latter as the least environmentally harmful.
The issue was raised during a discussion within the parliamentary Environment Committee on the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED).
Din l-Art Helwa council member Petra Caruana Dingli observed that the government and Mepa were contradicting their own SPED when they pointed to the area near Zonqor Point as suitable for the building of a new university.
Maps attached to the document showed the Zonqor area as being an area of 'high landscape protection' she said.
What was happening, she said, risked making SPED irrelevant. Indeed, the SPED had no timelines or implementation plans, she said.
Labour MP Marlene Farrugia, who is the committee's chairman, asked whether SPED would really safeguard the environment. What safeguards were there that what was listed on the plan would be enforced? How would the document protect the people and the environment?
Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg said the document listed projects the government intended to implement. Regarding the university, what Mepa had done was to ask the government property division to see which areas held by the government in the south of Malta could potentially be good for a university. A desktop study was carried out.
Dr Farrugia asked if outside development zones were excluded from this desk exercise.
The CEO said that in terms of the Structure Plan, development for education and health could be done in Outside Development Zones.
Dr Farrugia said that was one reason why the Structure Plan was being replaced. She asked how the document would protect the people be ensuring there was no development in ODZ.
Mr Buttigieg said the new document provided that if development was made in an ODZ, another area had to be excluded from development. SPED did not allow the sort of rationalisation exercises seen in the past when large areas were given up for development.
He said when questioned by Dr Farrugia that he agreed that priority for development should be in development zones.
Dr Farrugia asked how, therefore, the building of the university was earmarked for a green area.
The CEO said the government felt this development should be considered. The size of the required area could not be found within a development zone.
Dr Farrugia asked if the request for identification of the site was made by the government.
Mr Buttigieg said the request was made by the government.
Ryan Callus (PN) said he was concerned that Mepa, an independent authority, had indicated a site outside a development zone.
Mr Buttigieg said Mepa did not choose the site. Two sites had been indicated, San Leonardo and Zonqor, and the latter was the least harmful for the environment.
Marthese Portelli (PN) asked whether SPED had been considered?
Mr Buttgiieg said No, as Mepa was currently regulated by the Structure Plan.
Dr Portelli said the local plan showed Zonqor as a site of ecological importance so why indicate it for development of the University? What did Zonqor lack in relation to San Leonardo? Would Mepa publish the report it had given the government?
Mr Buttigieg said he had no problem in the report being passed on.
Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon said he had no problem discussing the new university, but the debate in terms of the agenda was on SPED.
Dr Farrugia said the development of the university was related because it had a bearing on the credibility of SPED.
Mr Buttigieg was then asked how and who would decide which area in a development zone would be included in an ODZ to replace other ODZ areas where development still took place.
Mr Buttigieg said ecological importance and size would be determining factor, with the decision eventually being taken by the government.
Dr Farrugia said the bottom line was that, as in the past, the decision on what was in and what was out of a development zone would be taken by a minister.
Parliamentary Secretary Falzon said parliament would not be circumvented.