Nhar it-Tlieta li għadda inqatgħet is-sentenza tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fuq l-art ta’ ftit iktar minn 40 elf metru kwadru f’Ta’ Durumblat il-Mosta.  Bħal ma kien mistenni, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, tat il-barka tagħha biex din l-art agrikola tinqered darba għal dejjem.  Disa’ snin ilu, ADPD-The Green Party ħadem biex din l-art tibqa’ miftuħa ħalli titgawda minn kulħadd. Dakinnhar l-Awtorità tal-ippjanar qablet magħna u irrifjutat l-applikazzjoni: kien mument ta’ tama li l-affarijiet setgħu jitranġaw. Imma disa’ snin wara rega’ sar l-assalt għall-iżvilupp u din id-darba il-permess biex din l-art tista’ tkun żviluppata  ħareġ.

Il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Brian Decelis, Uffiċjal għar-relazzjonijiet pubbliċi, u Mario Mallia, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali f’konferenza stampa quddiem Kastija, sostnew li l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar baqgħet tinħeba wara l-eżercizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni li sar fl-2006 fejn medda ta’ żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art, b’daqqa ta’ pinna, saru tajbin għall-iżvilupp.  Filwaqt li dan huwa fatt, l-Awtorità kellha, kieku riedet, il-possibbilta` li tiddeċiedi mod ieħor, bhal ma għamlet disa’ snin ilu.  Minflok, qatgħetha li tħassar din il-medda ta’ art miftuħa minn wiċċ id-dinja u waħħlet fil-politiċi li ħallew proċess ta’ fl-2006, intatt.    

Il-kelliema saqsew kemm-il 40 elf metru kwadru ta’ art fadlilna x’nordmu f’pajjiżna.  Saqsew ukoll kemm il-gvern ser jibqa’ jkaxkar saqajh biex iniedi proċess ta’ riforma komprensiva u ġusta fil-qasam tal-ippjanar, li tirrendi l-proċess ta’ żvilupp tabilħaqq sostenibbli.  Minflok ma ħassar l-isfreġju tal-proċess ta’ razjonalizzazzjoni tal-2006 kif kien qal li ser jagħmel, il-gvern għamel l-oppost, billi ħalla ż-żoni ta’ żvilupp kif kienu, u pprova jgħaddi romblu fuq kulħadd bl-abbozzi ta’ liġi infami 143 u 144, biex ikompli jħott il-ftit protezzjoni ambjentali li teżisti u jneħħi d-dritt għall-appell liċ-ċittadini komuni li qed jaraw pajjiżhom jisparixxi.  L-istess mod, il-gvern suppost Laburista għadu jkaxkar saqajh fuq it-tkomplija ta’ żvilupp waqt li jkun għaddej proċess tal-appell.  Il-kelliema irreferew għal lukanda fis-Swieqi li baqgħet timbena sakemm instema’ l-appell li eventwalment inqata’ kontra l-iżviluppatur. Kieku l-gvern kien serju u jemmen fis-saltna tad-dritt, kien jagħmilha possibbli biex żvilupp abbużiv jerġa’ jitwaqqa’ mill-iżviluppatur li bnieh, biex l-art tintradd lura. Minflok, il-gvern ipprova jeħles mill-problema billi qed jipproponi li jitnaqqas id-dritt tal-appell.  Dan jikkonferma kemm il-gvern iddaħħal fil-but tal-iżviluppaturi.  Sadanittant, il-ftit art li fadal tkompli tittiekel bil-ġurnata. 

L-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party saqsew fejn hu s-sens ta’ ġustizzja soċjali ta’ gvern suppost Laburista, li b’id waħda jonfoq 700 miljun Euro mit-taxxi tal-Maltin u Ghawdxin biex iżid l-ispazji miftuħa, u fl-istess ħin, iħalli l-iżviluppaturi jidfnu art li għadha miftuħa bl-id l-ohra.  Dan mhu xejn għajr taxxa fuq il-pubbliku Malti, biex iħallsu għall-eċċessi tal-ftit. 

“Hemm bżonn urġenti ta’ politika u politiċi li jħarsu l-interessi tan-nies komuni u tal- ġenerazzjonijiet futuri”, tennew il-kelliema.

*** 

“How many more 40 thousand square metres do we have to spare?”

Last Tuesday, judgement was passed on around 40 thousand square metres of land in Ta’ Durumblat in Mosta.  As expected, the Planning Authority gave its blessing for the permanent destruction of the open space.  Nine years ago, ADPD-The Green Party had successfully campaigned for this land to remain undeveloped and enjoyed by all, with the Planning Authority ruling against the development. Nine years down the line, a fresh application was submitted and this time round, the permit was granted. 

Brian Decelis, Public Relations Officer and Mario Mallia, Deputy General Secretary, speaking on behalf of ADPD-The Green Party, argued that the Planning Authority chose to hide behind the rationalisation exercise of 2006, which transformed around two million square metres of the Maltese Islands into land for development. Whilst the existence of the rationalisation exercise impacts the decisions taken by the Planning Authority, it still  had every opportunity to decide otherwise, as it did nine years ago.  Instead, the Authority chose to ruin another large tract of open space. 

The speakers asked how many more 40 thousand square metres does the country have left to ruin.  They also asked why the government keeps dragging its feet to kickstart the necessary reform for a socially just, comprehensive land use reform that is truly sustainable. Not only has the Labour party in government backtracked on its promise to annul the rationalisation process of 2006 but it  went a step further through the introduction of the infamous bills 143 and 144, in the process weakening environmental protection whilst attempting to obliterate the right of appeal.  Moreover, the government remains reluctant to deal with the current practice of allowing construction to go on whilst an appeal is being heard.  The speakers referred to the recent case of a hotel in Swieqi, where building resumed whilst the appeal process was ongoing.  A government that has at heart the rule of law, would have ensured that any development undertaken during the appeal stage, would be demolished by the same developers, if deemed abusive or not according to policy.  Instead, the government went the opposite way by proposing a bill to practically do away with the right of appeal.  This attitude confirms how much the government has been taken over by the interests of developers.  In the meantime, the little land that remains, is being eaten away, one piece at a time, on a daily basis. 

The speakers for ADPD-The Green Party asked how a supposedly Labour government claims to have social justice at heart when it has no qualms spending 700 million euro of taxpayer money to increase the number of open spaces, whilst concurrently allowing developers to develop naturally occurring open spaces at their hearts’ delight. The 700 million are, as a consequence, nothing more than another hefty tax imposed on the Maltese public, to appease the excesses of the few. 

“There is the urgent need for politics and politicians that truly look out for the interests of all, especially future generations”, concluded the speakers.