A proposed environmental watchdog will have “no teeth, or even a jaw”, a Church commission has said in a scathing review of the planning authority split.
The Church’s environment commission, which advocated for splitting the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in 2009, said it was disappointed with the proposals, because the environment would emerge as “a big loser”.
“The Bills, as they currently stand, are a step backwards in proper development planning and do not guarantee the protection of the environment and cultural heritage,” the commission said.
The government has an electoral mandate to split the planning and environment functions into two distinct authorities. The government has argued the environment would be better served through this system.
But the Church commission believes the Bill setting up the Environment Protection Authority contains lax procedures that undermine the protection of the land and sea environments. It also called on MPs not shirk their duty and hide behind the argument that the government had an electorate mandate.
“In order for the Environment Authority to effectively serve the common good through environmental protection, the splitting of the planning and environment functions in two authorities should result in more effective, less cosmetic, co-sharing and co-responsibility in the decision-making process in the formulation of plans, policies and development orders and the granting of development permits,” the Church commission said.
The commission said it had advocated splitting Mepa so that the environment could be given greater protection.
But the commission was also critical of the proposed Bill setting up a new planning authority that will only deal with development permits.
The Bills, as they currently stand, do not guarantee the protection of the environment and cultural heritage
The Church commission said the Bill allowed for ministerial interference in most appointments to the various posts.
“The Environment Commission is seriously worried that the executive council of the Planning Authority will have an executive chairperson, who apart from the powers granted specifically to the holder of this post, will also be the minister’s puppet,” the Church body said.
It said the Bill not only stipulated that the executive chairperson be appointed by the minister but may also be dismissed by him at any time if the targets and objectives set by the minister are not achieved.
“The proposal that the minister has the choice of approving or rejecting the appointments of directors... will demote the Planning Authority from an authority to a private secretariat of the minister where appointments of key, and less key, people are concerned,” the Church commission said, adding it would continue to oppose such interference.
The commission reminded MPs that serving their country was not equivalent to serving an interest group, which sought only to reap “fast profits by exploiting the natural environment or intensifying construction in urban environments”.
The Mepa split has given rise to three laws, currently up for debate in Parliament: the Development Planning Act, the Environment Protection Act and the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal Act.
The government has received flak from green groups over the proposed split, which they argue will weaken environment protection and give the minister disproportionate powers over development and planning policies.
On the creation of an independent planning tribunal, which was generally well received, the Church commission said the system was moving towards “a legalistic approach” that risked shunning a holistic approach to development.
“This situation encourages those who want to play the system to discover ways of circumventing the law and continue unabated with their unsustainable plans,” the Church body said.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com