A coalition of environmental NGOs is strongly condemning the Government’s latest attempt to reward development illegalities. Through three new legal notices, the Government is proposing a wholesale amnesty, granting full development permit status to illegal developments within the development zone built until 2016, and illegal structures and uses in ODZ built until 1994. Moreover, concessions will be granted for illegalities up to 2024, including in sensitive areas such as ODZ and UCA. This will stop any enforcement against these illegalities, making them de facto legal going forward. 

Despite the Prime Minister’s claim that this is intended to help “small-scale contraveners” there is no limit on the size or intensity of the illegal development that may be condoned, and none of the above illegalities will have to conform to existing planning policies. The amnesty also extends to commercial operations, demonstrating that Government is aiding and abetting rampant commercial speculation and becoming complicit in the destruction of agricultural and green land.

To make matters worse, third parties and NGOs will have no right to object or appeal against these amnesty applications. This is a closed and opaque process in which the Planning Authority will decide, behind closed doors, how to continue destroying Malta’s environment, heritage and quality of life, while rewarding those who break the law.

Rarely, if ever, has our country faced such a brazen assault by powerful interests on its environment and quality of life. These legal notices come against the backdrop of two bills, presented in Parliament at the end of July, which would dismantle almost all existing safeguards in the planning sector and limit the public’s ability to challenge illegal decisions.

The organisations state that both the proposed bills and the proposed legal notices should be immediately withdrawn, as they run counter to the fundamental tenets of decency and democracy.

Should the Government attempt to run roughshod over the common good, we commit ourselves – together with other communities around Malta and Gozo – to fighting against this destructive onslaught of legislation designed to hand all power to developers and corrupt authorities.

Organisations
Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Il-Kollettiv
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers Association
The Archaeological Society Malta
Wirt Għawdex

******

Jeqirdu l-ambjent tagħna u jippremjaw l-illegalitajiet

Koalizzjoni ta’ għaqdiet ambjentali qed tikkundanna bil-qawwa l-aħħar tentattiv tal-Gvern biex jippremja l-illegalitajiet fil-bini. Permezz ta’ tliet avviżi legali ġodda, il-Gvern qed jipproponi amnestija totali li permezz tagħha se joħroġ permess sħiħ għal żviluppi illegali fiż-żona tal-iżvilupp mibnija sal-2016, kif ukoll strutturi u użi illegali fiż-żoni barra l-iżvilupp (ODZ) mibnija sal-1994. Barra minn hekk, se jingħataw konċessjonijiet għall-illegalitajiet li saru sal-2024, inkluż f’żoni sensittivi bħal UCA u ODZ, li se jwaqqaf kwalunkwe infurzar fuqhom għaliex f’daqqa waħda se jsiru legali.

Minkejja l-istqarrija tal-Prim Ministru li dan hu maħsub biex jgħin lil “dawk li jiksru l-liġi fuq skala żgħira”, m’hemm l-ebda limitu fid-daqs jew fl-intensità tal-iżvilupp illegali li jista’ jiġi regolarizzat, u l-ebda minn dawn l-illegalitajiet mhu se jkollhom bżonn jikkonformaw mal-politiki eżistenti tal-ippjanar. L-amnestija testendi wkoll għal operazzjonijiet kummerċjali, u dan juri li l-Gvern qed jgħin u jinkoraġġixxi spekulazzjoni kummerċjali bla rażan, u b’hekk isir kompliċi fil-qerda tal-art agrikola u tal-ispazji ħodor.

Barra minn hekk, partijiet terzi u NGOs mhu se jkollhom l-ebda dritt li joġġezzjonaw jew jappellaw kontra dawn l-applikazzjonijiet ta’ amnestija. Dan se jkun proċess nieqes minn kull trasparenza li fih l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar se tieħu deċiżjonijiet wara bibien magħluqa biex tkompli teqred l-ambjent ta’ Malta, il-wirt storiku u l-kwalità ta’ ħajjitna, filwaqt li tippremja lil min jikser il-liġi.

Nistgħu ngħidu li pajjiżna kważi qatt qabel ma kien f’punt fejn qed jaffaċċja attakk daqshekk sfaċċat minn interessi b’saħħithom fuq l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajja. Dawn l-avviżi legali qed jiġu ppreżentati fil-kuntest ta’ żewġ abbozzi ta’ liġijiet li tressqu fil-Parlament fl-aħħar ta’ Lulju, li jridu jżarmaw kważi s-salvagwardji kollha eżistenti fis-settur tal-ippjanar u jillimitaw il-kapaċità tal-pubbliku li jikkontesta deċiżjonijiet illegali.

L-għaqdiet qed jisħqu li kemm l-abbozzi ta’ liġijiet proposti kif ukoll l-avviżi legali proposti għandhom jiġu rtirati immedjatament, peress li jmorru kontra l-prinċipji fundamentali tad-diċenza u d-demokrazija.

Jekk il-Gvern jipprova jgħaddi bħal gaffa minn fuq il-ġid komuni, aħna qed nimpenjaw ruħna li flimkien ma’ komunitajiet oħra madwar Malta u Għawdex se niġġieldu kontra dan l-attakk qerriedi ta’ leġiżlazzjoni mfassla biss biex tagħti l-poter kollu f’idejn l-iżviluppaturi u l-awtoritajiet korrotti.

Għaqdiet
Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Il-Kollettiv
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers Association
The Archaeological Society Malta
Wirt Għawdex