Last week the government resisted a motion to repeal a legal notice extending the hunting times from 10am to noon. Environmental NGOs were appalled by the move to allow hunting and trapping in the Majjistral Park as this was not compatible with visitors, be they tourists or locals, and certainly not for children whether on a school outing or with friends.
This pandering by government to a small but vociferous lobby stemmed from a pre-election promise which was a straight trade of votes for favour. This successful sell-out was not lost on the Nationalist Party who supported the counter motion for ‘more dialogue’ but left the legal notice in place. A very sad state of affairs indeed.
This attitude bodes very badly for our environment. A recent survey put environment as one of the three top concerns affecting the Maltese people. The other two being immigration and crime.
However, this is lost on our parliamentarians. A look around at this island of ours – more akin to the bombed and battered areas of Syria than a modern European country to exaggerate a point – indicates that our built and natural environment has a Third World look and feel.
It is clear that our politicians are not concerned with the environment and – let us be clear – things have got a lot worse recently. High-rise permits were largely given wherever a developer applied for it and not according to a studied master plan or indeed a policy.
Regulations for building in the countryside were relaxed and wherever one looks one sees buildings sprouting up in what can be euphemistically called ‘outside development areas’.
The building boom is a juggernaut which will devour every last field in this increasingly ugly country.
This has been happening since the 1960s and it will not stop unless wehave politicians of conviction – as what does seem to interest our political class is to accommodate particular interest groups and secure their support in a general election.
Politicians and their tribal supporters are wont to answer one sin by throwing back another. High rise? What about the Nationalists’ extension of the building zones in 2008? And what about Lorry Sant’s building development areas?
And so it goes on with no honest voice calling for real regulation, proper enforcement, real design and quality building.
We are in the unusual situation where even the architects are calling for conservation measures and just last week they pressed for the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage to be given the resources to vet all applications, and not to be given the obligation to protect our heritage, and yet starved of the funds to do this.
What a funny world, or should I say, country.
Environmental NGOs need to flex their political muscle as well. We need to start exerting pressure, become more militant
However, it is the issue at Majjistral Park which encapsulates the appalling state of the environment.
Having represented the park managers for some years as a Din l-Art Ħelwa representative, we were unable to restrict vehicular access and so cars are able to drive around what should be a car free zone.
On top of cars we now have hunters roaming the park with shotguns – at least till noon. Is this how the Maltese think a national park should be – even though it is so small?
The fact is that our countryside is shrinking fast.
Passageways are being blocked off by individuals, and farmhouses, tool rooms and other structures are sprouting up like there is no tomorrow. Is there no champion in the House who will do the honours for the environmental NGOs, after all the Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights is a vocal supporter of the hunters’ lobby? I kid you not!
The Environmental NGOs need to flex their political muscle as well. We need to start exerting pressure, become more militant. Perhaps we will not topple the megaliths at Mnajdra, but our civilised discussions with apparently sympathetic politicians has not yielded much and the destruction continues at an increased pace, aided and abetted by our politicians.
As I write our ‘Planning’ Authority board members ride roughshod over planning policies and objections of the directorate and the Environment Authority and approve yet another petrol station in the countryside complete with car wash, shops and 1,500 square metres of concrete.
Creating a balance between development and conservation – what a joke.
In truth I would also press Labour supporters to stand up and pressure their own party to do the right thing, and look after our heritage. We are in a situation where there is no dialogue between the tribes and criticism of one side automatically puts you in the other camp – with ulterior motives or no credibility, and even the environmentalists are branded by the government tribe as being in league with the Opposition.
It has been so since Independence and by supporters of each administration since then. And in the end it is our quality of life and the irreparable loss to our heritage that is the cost.
Time to stand up for what is right, Onorevoli.
Martin Galea is a council member of Din L-Art Ħelwa.