Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco yesterday told Parliament that the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED), as presented by the government, put more emphasis on development than on environment.
He said the notion that one had to focus solely on development to render Malta more competitive was a fallacy. Malta could also be environmentally competitive.
The World Economic Forum considered countries’ environmental competitiveness. It was in Malta’s interest that the SPED should give a boost to environmental considerations.
It would be a mistake to have economic growth at the expense of the environment. “One has to be humble and learn from the past,” he said.
While all development projects would have a positive impact on the economy, if the environmental effects were great, one had to reject such projects. Speaking on rural tourism, Dr de Marco said that though appealing, this could serve as an excuse to open the countryside up for development with the aim of bringing in a few more tourists, when more than 1.7 million tourists already visited Malta.
Although the country had evolved, one had to admit that certain things could have been done differently. One should not repeat past mistakes.
Noting that Malta had unique coasts, Dr de Marco asked whether the government would kill the proverbial golden goose. It seemed that only stone turned the economic wheel.
One has to be humble and learn from the past
He called for a quantum leap in quality. The SPED, described as the constitution of development in Malta, had to adopt an integrated approach.
The environment should be considered as an asset for people, businesses and health. It should also be considered as capital for future generations.
He urged the government to let Mepa employees perform their tasks. When it came to environmental protection, it would be a mistake if politicians replaced technical people.
Dr de Marco expressed his concerns over the government’s intention to make a Dubai out of Malta since Malta’s coasts, seas and biodiversity were different to Dubai’s. One had to protect Malta’s assets.
How would SPED control development on reclaimed land? What stage had the expressions of interest for land reclamation reached?
Although the Prime Minister had said he had listened to the environmental message after the hunting referendum, it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears since he subsequently proposed development in Żonqor Point.
Dr de Marco asked whether the clause to ensure the provision of communal facilities for education, among others, in locations which may include rural areas, was inserted after having considered the American University, which was neither American nor a university.
The SPED as presented by the government sought to revise development boundaries instead of seeking to contain them.
This was a very dangerous exercise especially since recent studies showed there were so many vacant properties.
Concluding, Dr de Marco said that although the document could build the road for the future, it was not enough to impart confidence in the future.