Bil-flus ma tissewwiex il-ħsara ambjentali. 

“Il-multi biex jinħarġu l-permessi dwar żvilupp illegali ma jsolvu xejn imma jagħtu messaġġ perikoluż li bil-flus tista’ tixtri dak li mhux tiegħek”. Dan qaluh Sandra Gauci Chairperson u Carmel Cacopardo Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party huma u jindirizzaw konferenza stampa dwar l-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art quddiem il-Parlament. Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-qagħda attwali tal-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art qed issir dejjem iktar preokkupanti minħabba li l-Gvern qiegħed kontinwament jagħti dejjem iktar arja lill-ispekulaturi u fl-istess ħin qiegħed idgħajjef il-protezzjoni tal-art u tal-komunitajiet residenzjali.

“Materja  li għandha tkun indizzata u li dwarha l-Gvern qiegħed ikaxkar saqajh hi l-ħtieġa li fejn ikun hemm appell minn deċiżjoni ma jsir l-ebda żvilupp sakemm ikun deċiż l-appell. Imma l-Gvern minkejja l-ħafna paroli dwar kemm jaqbel ma’ dan issa ilu is-snin jittrattjeni milli jilleġiżla.”

“Il-Gvern qiegħed ukoll kontinwament iżid l-assedju fuq l-art barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp. Mhux biss raba’ li l-Parlament fl-2006 ikkundanna għall-iżvilupp għadha qed tkun żviluppata, talli issa bl-iskuża tal-isports, il-faċilitajiet sportivi ukoll se jingħataw għall-ispekulazzjoni. Inżommu quddiem għajnejna li numru mhux żgħir ta’ faċilitajiet sportivi huma barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp.

Dan kollu jistona meta mqabbel mal-kampanja għal spazji miftuħa u l-infieq ipproġettat ta’ 700 miljun Euro fuqhom. Kif jista’ l-Gvern ikun kredibbli fil-politika tiegħu dwar li jipprovdi spazji miftuħa, meta dawk li tipprovdilna n-natura qed iħallihom ikunu sagrifikati fuq l-artal tal-ispekulazzjoni?” kompla jgħid Cacopardo. 

“L-istess qed jiġri dwar l-iżvilupp illegali barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp. Hu żball oħxon li jinħarġu l-permessi ta’ żvilupp għal bini illegali li sar tul is-snin fl-ODZ. Kontinwament qed jingħata l-messaġġ żbaljat li billi tħallas multa tista’ tirrimedja l-ħsara ambjentali. Il-multi biex jinħarġu l-permessi dwar żvilupp illegali ma jsolvu xejn imma jagħtu messaġġ perikoluż li bil-flus tista’ tixtri dak li mhux tiegħek. Li bil-flus tista’ isserraħ il-kuxjenza li l-ħsara ambjentali li tkun għamilt ser tintesa. Dan minnu innifsu jnissel iktar żvilupp illegali u jkompli jkabbar il-problema li qed niffaċċjaw.” ikkonkluda Carmel Cacopardo.

Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party emfasizzat li “iż-żewġ abbozzi ta’ liġi dwar l-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art li l-Gvern ippreżenta xhur ilu, u li għadhom pendenti, huma pass lura u se jagħmluha iktar diffiċli biex is-soċjetà ċivili ssegwi u tippreżenta sottomissjonijiet dwar proposti ta’ żvilupp imdaqqsa. Dan se jsir prinċipalment bit-tnaqqis taż-żmien li fih ser ikun possibbli li jkun ippreżentat appell minn deċiżjonijiet tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.”

“L-abbozz ifittex li jiffaċilita li jiġu approvati proposti ta’ żvilupp billi fost oħrajn jipproponi biex materji ambjentali ma jibqgħux jiġu ikkunsidrati mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. L-abbozz jintroduċi wkoll iktar flessibilità fl-applikazzjoni ta’ policies tal-ippjanar b’riżultat li, inevitabbilment, se jkollna nuqqas ta’ ċertezza dwar x’regoli u policies huma applikabbli.”

“Hu ċar daqs il-kristall li l-abbozzi ppreżentati għall-konsiderazzjoni tal-Parlament huma riżultat ta’ pressjoni biex l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tkompli tillaxka l-ħidma tagħha, tarmi għal kollox il-funzjoni tagħha ta’ ippjanar u issir dejjem iktar fabbrika ta’ permessi. Dan se jwassal biex il-komunitajiet residenzjali tagħna tonqsilhom il-protezzjoni u l-brigata tal-ispekulaturi tkompli tingħata iktar arja. Wara kollox dawn hekk iridu, inqas indħil li jxekkilhom milli jagħmlu li jfettillhom.” ikkonkludiet Sandra Gauci.

***

Government favours the speculation brigade. Money does not fix our environment

“Fines to facilitate the issuing of permits for illegal development do nothing to solve the problem except to pass on the message that you can buy anything you desire if you have the money, even if it is not yours to buy.” This was said by Sandra Gauci,  ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson, and Carmel Cacopardo, ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson, whilst addressing a press conference on land use planning in front of Parliament. 

Carmel Cacopardo said, “The current situation regarding land planning is of great concern, particularly because the government is continuously giving speculators greater flexibility whilst at the same time weakening any protection granted to protect land and residential communities.”

One of the most obvious steps that the government must urgently take is to ensure that when an application for a development permit is turned down and an appeal is lodged, no development should be permitted until the appeal is concluded. Whilst the government has been saying that it is in agreement with this, unfortunately, it appears that the government has been dragging its feet in putting it into law.”

“The Government is engaged in a non-stop onslaught on land that falls outside the development zone.  Not only was agricultural land condemned to development by Parliament in 2006, but now we see the government is also trying to facilitate the development of sports facilities for speculation purposes.  We must keep in mind that a number of our sports facilities are already built on ODZ land.  This move jars with the campaign for green spaces and 700 million euro earmarked for these projects.  How can a government be considered credible about open spaces, when those open spaces provided by nature are being sacrificed on the altar of speculation?” continued Cacopardo. 

“The same is happening about illegal development outside designated development zones.  It is a grave mistake to issue permits for buildings that were illegally built in ODZ areas over the years.  We are continuously sending the wrong message that environmental damage can be rectified by paying a fine.   These fines do not solve anything.  They simply transmit a dangerous message that anything can be bought, including what does not belong to you.  It also implies that money is absolution, and the environmental damage will be forgotten,” concluded Carmel Cacopardo.

Sandra Gauci, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson, highlighted that “the bills on land planning presented by the Government a while ago, and which are still pending, are a step backwards, and it would make it difficult for civil society to follow and present submissions on development proposals.   These bills will reduce the timeframe within which third parties can appeal decisions taken by the Planning Authority.”

“The proposed bills will make it easier for a development proposal to be approved, which would include no need for environmental issues to be considered by the Planning Authority.  The bills also introduce more flexibility in the application of planning policies, which would inevitably end without knowing for certain what regulations and policies are applicable. 

It is crystal clear that the bills presented for the consideration of Parliament are the result of pressure to have the Planning Authority be less stringent in its duties, abdicating its planning responsibilities and end up being a permit factory.   This will inevitably weaken any protection that residential communities have, and the speculator brigade would gain further freedoms.  After all, this is what they want, less interference from those who dare to stand up to them,” concluded Gauci.