Labour MP Marlene Farrugia had more harsh words directed at the government today during the Environment and Planning Development Parliamentary committee meeting.
The committee was debating the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED).
Labour MP Deborah Schembri objected to new proposals submitted by NGOs Din l-Art Helwa and Friends of the Earth, and said the public consultation period on the document had been extended and the NGOs were only submitting their proposals today. This was creating an “ugly precedent” because the rule of law had to be abided by, she said.
Dr Farrugia, who chairs the committee, countered that it was “a beautiful precedent”. What had happened was a clear lack of consultation and NGOs had not been listened tobut she was determined that the committee she chaired should widen democracy. The NGOs had come back to strengthen the most important environmental document the country stood to have. If she saw a deficiency in her party she wanted to see it changed.
“I suggest you do the same in your own committee,” Dr Farrugia told Dr Schembri.
Petra Caruana Dingli of Din l-Art Ħelwa said repeatedly that it was not that the NGOs had not made their proposals in the time, but that they had been ignored. The present draft of the document was practically the same as it had been before the consultation.
Marthese Portelli (PN) said she considered this NGOs were taking “a great initiative” and trying again.
Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon said there had been ample time for consultation, which had also been extended. Some quarters had not come forward, but new submissions were now being made.
Dr Falzon said a lot had been said about the structure plan. The opposition’s representative on the planning authority board, Ryan Callus, could say how they had worked together to come up with six policies to close loopholes in one year, and were now working on six others.
Environment Minister Leo Brincat said the structure plan had been drawn up in a complete policy vacuum. Besides EU policies, he said, Malta had its own environmental regulations and policy coordination.
Charles Buhagiar (PL) said he could not understand why it had taken from 1999 to date to revise the structure plan. SPED was a strategic document which was very different to the structure plan.
Dr Falzon said SPED would be overriding and local plans would have to abide by it. He likened SPED to the Constitution and local plans to legislation.
Ms Caruana Dingli said the document held that national projects could outweigh other considerations. This was a big loophole that was anything but watertight, and more emphasis was needed on the environment.
Dr Portelli said all agreed that rural areas should be the last resort. But was this how things would be interpreted, or would the wording be circumvented?