A united front of NGOs has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela to express its profound disgust at the draft legislation presented by the Government in Parliament last week. These draft bills seek to amend the Development Planning Act and the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal Act. The organisations warned that these proposals represent nothing short of a Government attempt to dismantle the few remaining safeguards in the environmental and planning sectors – already in a severely compromised state – and in effect, reflect a wish list from the developers’ lobby.

It is crystal clear that these proposed laws do not amount to any form of “reform”. Rather, they are tools designed to facilitate a complete takeover of the country by the development lobby. In light of this deeply concerning situation, the organisations are calling a Press Conference, to be held today, 28 July at 6:00 PM, in front of Parliament.

The organisations reiterated that they have, for years, been requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela to discuss the urgent reforms needed in the planning sector – foremost among these being a reform of the planning appeals process. Prime Minister Abela, however, not only ignored these repeated requests for dialogue, but has now gone a step further by drafting new laws that seek to completely dismantle the existing legal structures that ensure a minimum of decency within the planning system.

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the organisations condemned the total lack of transparency in the drafting of these laws, noting that no form of public consultation was ever carried out. They further highlighted the Government’s decision to rush through these dangerous laws during the summer – a tactic unworthy of a democratic government. These are the dangerous signs of a Government captured by powerful interests, eroding the very foundation of democracy in our country.

The organisations renewed their urgent appeal for the immediate withdrawal of these dangerous bills. They warned that the country now stands at a critical crossroads: should the Government persist in enforcing these laws, it would spell disaster for Malta and for the future of its children. The organisations once again called on Government to launch a transparent and inclusive process for reform in the environment and planning sectors

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

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F’isem id-diċenza, f’isem id-demokrazija: l-għaqdiet jappellaw lill-PM biex jirtira minnufih l-abbozzi tar-riforma fl-ippjanar

Front magħqud ta’ għaqdiet kiteb ittra indirizzata lill-Prim Ministru Robert Abela biex jesprimi d-diżgust tiegħu fir-rigward tal-abbozzi ta’ liġi ppreżentati mill-Gvern fil-Parlament il-ġimgħa li għaddiet, liema abbozzi jridu jemendaw l-Att dwar l-Ippjanar tal-Iżvilupp u l-Att dwar it-Tribunal ta’ Reviżjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar. L-għaqdiet saħqu li dawn l-abbozzi mhuma xejn għajr attentat mill-Gvern biex iħassar is-salvagwardji kollha eżistenti fil-qasam tal-ambjent u l-ippjanar – li diġà jinsab fi stat imwiegħer ħafna – u effettivament jirrappreżentaw lista tax-xewqat tal-iżviluppaturi.

Huwa evidenti li dawn il-liġijiet proposti ma jirrappreżentaw ebda “riforma”, imma huma biss għodda li se tiffaċilita kolp ta’ stat totali mill-iżviluppaturi fuq pajjiżna. Fid-dawl ta’ din is-sitwazzjoni inkwetanti, l-għaqdiet qed isejħu għal Konferenza Stampa, illum 28 ta’ Lulju fis-6pm, quddiem il-Parlament.

L-għaqdiet tennew li ilhom snin jitolbu laqgħa mal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela sabiex jiddiskutu r-riformi tant meħtieġa fil-qasam tal-ippjanar – ewlenija fosthom ir-riforma fil-liġi tal-appelli tal-ippjanar. Il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela, iżda, mhux biss injora t-talba tal-għaqdiet għal djalogu, iżda issa fassal liġijiet ġodda sabiex iżarma għalkollox l-istrutturi legali eżistenzi li jassiguraw ftit diċenza fil-qasam tal-ippjanar.

Fl-ittra indirizzata lill-PM, l-għaqdiet ikkundannaw in-nuqqas ta’ trasparenza fit-tfassil ta’ dawn il-liġijiet, hekk kif ma kien hemm ebda forma ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika. Innutaw ukoll li l-Gvern għażel li jippreżenta, b’mod mgħaġġel, liġijiet perikolużi bħal dawn fis-sajf. Dawn it-tattiċi mhumiex denji ta’ Gvern demokratiku, u huma sinjali perikolużi ta’ Gvern li jinsab maħtuf minn interessi b’saħħithom ħafna li qed ixejnu l-bażi tad-demokrazija f’pajjiżna.

L-għaqdiet tennew l-appell tagħhom sabiex dawn l-abbozzi perikolużi jiġi irtirati minnufih. Huma qed iwissu li ninsabu f’punt kritiku ħafna għal pajjiżna: jekk il-Gvern se jwebbes rasu u jdaħħal dawn il-liġijiet, dan se jfisser diżastru għal pajjiżna u għall-futur ta’ wliedna. L-għaqdiet sejħu lill-Gvern sabiex iniedi proċess trasparenti u inklussiv għal riforma fl-ambjent u l-ippjanar.

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