The Minister for the Environment, Leo Brincat, has been completely silent about government plans which are likely to have a negative impact on the environment, such as the relaxation of building heights and the oncoming loss of rural land through the revised ODZ policy, Din l-Art Helwa said today.

He still has also not ensured a strategic plan is in place before the local plans are revised or land reclamation proposals are considered, the environment NGO said.

Environment Minister Leo Brincat.

"The country needs to know how the Minister intends to ensure that development is sustainable if no studies or overall strategy are in place before moving ahead with the massive plans and projects in the pipeline which will have a huge impact on the environment," it added.

It said that a step in the right direction would be the setting up of a Design Review Committee that would give guidance on quality and context, on proportion and use of materials.

"So far the government has taken no visible and positive steps to ensure that the environment is protected and that development is sustainable," the NGO said.