There is only one thing stronger than all the armies of the world: and that is an idea whose time has come. That is what Victor Hugo had said. And it holds true for all the major transformations in society. The protection of human rights, gender equality, civil rights – all have come about following a dawning realisation followed by an irresistible momentum that these are precious values that must be safeguarded at all costs.
Now the time for the protection of the Maltese environment has come. This is the tipping point. If horrific mistakes have been made in the past, there is no reason to continue making new ones. If communities are suffering because of the onslaught of unfettered construction, we should not continue to bury them, writing them off as lost causes.
And if anyone wonders why the momentum is reaching fever-pitch now, the answer is very clear. After years of urban and rural depredation, after years of scandalous planning decisions, and the consequent deterioration in our quality, it is time to put a stop to the rampage. If not now, when?
■ I have a rather perverse hobby. I collect electoral campaign publicity material – all of it, from the flyers sent by candidates wanting to be my new BF, to those chunkier booklets with velvety soft pages, official-looking bullet points about serious proposals which are to be implemented by governments-in-waiting and loads of glossy pictures of children playing. I then compare the propaganda bumph with the implementation of the measures promised.
My collection now includes several 1980s specimens of yellowing electoral propaganda – most of which are promising golden opportunities for the south (funny how some things never change) and even some Sicilian campaign literature (again – worryingly familiar).
My collection is now extending to include all forms of political literature. The latest edition to the leaflets cascading out of my bookcase is the 2016 Pre-Budget Document. It weighs in at some 90 pages, with zingy turquoise here and there, and snaps of Valletta (never a glimpse of the badlands of Sliema or Paceville).
I leafed through to the section about the environment to see what measures the government was proposing to make up for the nationwide-mess the field is in. With the piteous situation at present, I expected the Labour government to be putting its money where its mouth is – investing heavily in the human resources required for proper regulation, enforcement and maintenance of our surroundings. I thought there would be a mention of the government’s intention to create more parks for the people, and the massive investment required for an eco-friendly public transport system.
Several months from its setting up, this environment ‘watch dog’ still seems to be getting used to its new kennel. It has not filed a single appeal from any planning decision
Instead it was all a lot of waffle about “plans” and “strategy” and a hilarious reference to the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development – the legal instrument which sounded the death knell for the local environment.
Then there was the description of the Mepa demerger process as one which was “intended to give strength and impetus to Malta’s environmental agenda”.
The demerger was the process through which Mepa was split into the Planning Authority (PA) and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA). The latter was meant to be an entity which would act as a guardian of the environment – an authority which would act as a foil to the pro-development PA. As the then Environment Minister Leo Brincat had told the ERA staff last April: “You have to be a watch dog, not a toy dog”. Much was made of the fact that it could appeal from decisions of the Planning Authority.
Several months from its setting up, this environment “watch dog” still seems to be getting used to its new kennel. It has not filed a single appeal from any planning decision. The desperately required action regarding fish-farm sludge is limited to an “investigation” that will probably be wound up in winter when the bathing season is over. It condoned the uprooting of long-growing trees in San Ġwann to make room for a petrol station, because they were a “threat” to local species.
The ERA did not have such qualms about the high-rise towers in Townsquare and Mrieħel when any form of input from the ERA staff present was conspicuous by its absence.
Now these deficiencies may be partially due to a limited budget and a shaky organisational set-up. But the end result is that the ERA unfortunately comes across as the inept foil in the Planning Authority’s ‘good cop, bad cop routine’. Unless it starts taking meaningful action fast, it is destined to be perceived as another rubber-stamping quango and a sop to the environmental movement.
It would be a pity if this had to come about and the ERA’s fate would be solely that of featuring in political bumph.
drcbonello@gmail.com
In the article entitled ‘Town of turds and towers’ (August 7), the reference to the pass rate in the Italian O level was erroneous. In fact it was a satisfactory 68 per cent.