Nine NGOs have formally submitted their strong objections to the Planning Authority (PA) against a proposed planning policy that will spell the end of ODZ protection, threaten hundreds of farmers, and potentially cause great harm to nature.

This planning policy document proposes to allow fully fledged, massive commercial facilities in the form of obstacle racecourses in Outside Development Zone (ODZ) areas, on both agricultural and natural land. The policy seems to assume that simply including the word “temporary” will make their impact disappear.

However, these structures will not be temporary at all. Permits will be valid for a full five years and, when considered alongside other planning rules and the systemic lack of enforcement, these facilities may well remain in place forever. Moreover, they will introduce intensive commercial activity into our countryside, in areas that should primarily be reserved for agricultural purposes or nature protection.

The policy was agreed with developers before being issued for a supposedly public consultation. This is yet another clear case of decisions being made behind the public’s back and in the interests of private parties – a rotten norm in planning, as evidenced by the published chats between developer Yorgen Fenech and corrupt PA boss Johann Buttigieg.

The malicious intent and danger of this policy were clearly illustrated three years ago, at a time when the general public was not even aware that it was being planned. An application for an obstacle racecourse on agricultural land in Ta’ Qali, which directly threatened farmers cultivating the land in question, was recommended for refusal. During the public hearing, the developer’s architect, who was connected to the powerful BILOM group, stated that the Government was preparing a policy to allow such structures. The application was subsequently withdrawn, as the policy had not even been issued for consultation, let alone brought into force.

It is clear that the Government has, behind everyone’s back, concocted a way with developers to greatly weaken ODZ protection and the safeguarding of nature, as well as increase pressure on farmers by allowing more commercial activities unrelated to agriculture in areas that should be reserved for agricultural purposes.

The NGOs strongly condemn these shady manoeuvres, which seek to accommodate specific private interests at the expense of the common good, the survival of Maltese agriculture, and nature’s integrity. Should the Government insist on pushing forward this extremely dangerous policy, the NGOs vow to fight it.

Organisations
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust Malta
Ramblers Association Malta
Wirt Għawdex

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Daqshekk protezzjoni għall-ODZ jekk tiġi approvata politika tal-ippjanar imfassla bil-moħbi mal-iżviluppaturi

Disa’ għaqdiet ressqu formalment l-oġġezzjonijiet qawwija tagħhom quddiem l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar kontra politika tal-ippjanar proposta li se xxejjen il-protezzjoni tal-artijiet barra ż-żona tal-iżvilupp (ODZ), thedded mijiet ta’ bdiewa, u potenzjalment tikkawża ħsara kbira lin-natura.

Dan id-dokument ta’ politika tal-ippjanar jipproponi li jitħallew jinbnew faċilitajiet kummerċjali kbar, fil-forma ta’ korsiji tat-tlielaq, f’żoni barra mill-konfini tal-iżvilupp (ODZ), kemm fuq art agrikola kif ukoll fuq art naturali. Il-politika donnha tassumi li sempliċement għax tuża l-kelma “temporanji”, l-impatt ta’ dawn il-faċilitajiet se jisparixxi.

Madankollu, dawn l-istrutturi mhuma se jkunu temporanji xejn. Il-permessi se jkunu validi għal ħames snin sħaħ u, meta wieħed iqis ir-regoli l-oħra tal-ippjanar u n-nuqqas sistematiku ta’ infurzar, dawn il-faċilitajiet jistgħu faċilment jibqgħu hemm għal dejjem. Barra minn hekk, se jintroduċu attività kummerċjali intensiva fil-kampanja tagħna, f’żoni li għandhom ikunu primarjament riservati għall-agrikoltura jew għall-ħarsien tan-natura.

Din il-politika ġiet miftiehma mal-iżviluppaturi qabel ma nħarġet għal dik li suppost hija konsultazzjoni pubblika. Dan huwa każ ċar ieħor ta’ deċiżjonijiet li jittieħdu minn wara dahar il-pubbliku u fl-interessi ta’ individwi privati – prattika korrotta li saret in-norma fis-settur tal-ippjanar, kif jixhdu ċ-chats ippubblikati bejn l-iżviluppatur Yorgen Fenech u Johann Buttigieg, il-kap korrott tal-PA.

L-intenzjonijiet malizzjużi u l-periklu ta’ din il-politika dehru biċ-ċar tliet snin ilu, fi żmien meta l-pubbliku ġenerali lanqas biss kien jaf li din il-politika kienet qed titħejja. Applikazzjoni għal korsa tat-tlielaq fuq art agrikola f’Ta’ Qali, li kienet thedded direttament lill-bdiewa li jaħdmu r-raba’ kkonċernat, kienet ġiet irrakkomandata għar-rifjut. Waqt is-seduta pubblika, il-perit tal-iżviluppatur, li kellu rabtiet mal-grupp influwenti BILOM, stqarr li l-Gvern kien qed iħejji politika biex jippermetti strutturi bħal dawn. Sussegwentement, l-applikazzjoni ġiet irtirata, peress li l-politika kienet għadha lanqas biss inħarġet għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika, aħseb u ara kemm kienet daħlet fis-seħħ.

Huwa ċar li l-Gvern, minn wara dahar kulħadd, fassal pjan mal-iżviluppaturi biex idgħajjef bil-kbir il-protezzjoni tal-ODZ u l-ħarsien tan-natura, kif ukoll biex iżid il-pressjoni fuq il-bdiewa billi jippermetti aktar attivitajiet kummerċjali li m’għandhom x’jaqsmu xejn mal-agrikoltura f’żoni li għandhom ikunu riservati għall-użu agrikolu.

L-għaqdiet qed jikkundannaw bil-qawwa dawn il-manuvri qarrieqa, li għandhom l-għan li jaqdu interessi privati b’saħħithom għad-detriment tal-ġid komuni, tal-agrikoltura Maltija u tal-integrità tan-natura. Jekk il-Gvern jinsisti li jmexxi ’l quddiem din il-politika perikoluża, l-għaqdiet iwissu li se jkunu qed jopponuha bil-qawwa.

Għaqdiet
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust Malta
Ramblers Association Malta
Wirt Għawdex