Everyone has the right to reside peacefully at home without at any time being fearful that the development in his/her vicinity could be life-threatening to him or to his family or damaging to his possessions. This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson of ADPD – The Green Party, electoral candidate on the 4th and 9th Districts at a press conference in Abela Scolaro Street Santa Venera, where one year ago a building collapsed during excavation works, Miriam Pace being killed as a result.
Sandra Gauci, ADPD electoral candidate on the 6th and the 12th Districts said that the rights of residents should be prioritised. The boards that regulate building construction and development should be sensitised on the impacts which their decisions have on residents. This could be facilitated if it is ensured that residents’ associations too are represented in the decision-taking process at the Planning Authority (PA) and the regulatory process at the authority regulating the building industry (BCA).
It was a positive step forward when regulations were improved such that developers were obliged to fork out part of the expenses incurred by residents when they seek advice on proposed development in their neighbourhood. This initiative is however rather limited and should be extended to cover all reasonable expenses incurred by residents to protect themselves and their properties, Gauci concluded.
Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson of ADPD – The Green Party emphasised that everyone should feel safe at his/her home. The authorities regulating development and building construction should back up this legitimate expectation with facts. Regulation is not a paper exercise but is carried out through the deployment of trained personnel. These are trained to seek and identify abuse and not just act when a report has been filed.
Representatives of various sectors sit on the boards administering the regulatory authorities linked to the building industry. It is only residents’ associations which are absent and not represented. Residents are the first to shoulder the impacts of the industry, not just pollutants but all sorts of impacts which diminish their quality of life. Loss of life has now been added to the list of impacts. The responsibility for all this should not only be carried by those who do not carry out their work properly, or by those duty bound to supervise and act if required. Responsibility should also be shouldered by the regulatory authorities and those appointing them, that is to say the politicians in Parliament.
It is essential that Parliament provides these regulatory authorities with the required tools to be able to ensure that the construction industry is brought to order. Unfortunately, there is no political will for this to happen: when changes are made, they are half-baked. Unregulated lobbying is part of the problem, as the construction industry/developers and politics are too close for comfort.
It is imperative that the authority regulating the building industry (BCA) is provided with additional resources, primarily trained personnel, in order for the regulatory process to be carried out satisfactorily. Both the BCA and the PA should prioritise residents and the ecology in their work, even before taking into account any economic consideration.
We will insist that all those active in the building industry should be trained: this does not only apply to tradesmen but also to those handling and operating machinery. It must be ascertained that they are aware of the possibilities and limitations of the machinery they operate as well as the relative consequences.
It is essential that all the recommendations of the Quintano Commission are implemented without further delay. In addition lobbying must be regulated at the earliest. If we are not prepared to implement a strict code of behaviour on all the building industry, it will not be long before we will have to face once more a repetition of recent incidents.
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Korruzzjoni jew kostruzzjoni?
Kulħadd għandu d-dritt li jgħix f’daru bla biża’ li l-iżvilupp li jseħħ madwaru jkun ta’ theddida għal ħajtu, jew familtu, inkella tal-propjetà tiegħu. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, u kandidat fuq ir-4 u d-9 Distrett f’konferenza stampa fi Triq Abela Scolaro Santa Venera, fejn sentejn ilu ikkollassa l-bini li qatel lil Miriam Pace waqt li kien għaddej u bħala riżultat ta’ xogħol ta’ skavar.
Sandra Gauci, kandidat ta’ ADPD fuq is-6 u t-12-il Distrett qalet li d-drittijiet tar-residenti għandhom jingħataw prijorità. Il-Bordijiet li jirregolaw il-bini u l-iżvilupp għandhom ikunu iktar sensittivi għall-impatti fuq ir-residenti huma u jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet. Dan għandu jsir, fost oħrajn, billi jkun assigurat li l-għaqdiet li jħarsu l-interessi tar-residenti jkunu rappreżentati kemm fil-proċess fejn jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) kif ukoll f’dak regolatorju tal-Awtorità li tirregola l-industrija tal-bini (BCA).
Sar pass ‘il quddiem li fir-regolamenti riċenti iddaħħal l-obbligu li l-iżviluppatur jerfa’ parti mill-ispejjeż li jsiru mir-residenti meta jfittxu pariri dwar l-iżvilupp propost madwarhom. Dan iżda hu limitat ħafna u għandu jkun estiż biex ikopri l-ispejjeż raġonevoli kollha li r-residenti qed ikollhom jagħmlu biex iħarsu ħajjithom u l-propjetà tagħhom, ikkonkludiet Gauci.
Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party emfasizza li kulħadd għandu jħossu sikur f’daru. L-awtoritajiet li jirregolaw l-iżvilupp u l-kostruzzjoni tal-bini għandhom l-obbligu li jagħtu din l-assigurazzjoni bil-fatti. Ir-regolamentazzjoni ma issirx bil-karti iżda b’nies imħarrġa li jgħassu għall-abbuż u mhux joqgħodu jistennew li jidħol rapport biex forsi jaġixxu.
L-awtoritajiet regolatorji konnessi mal-industrija tal-bini fihom bosta rappreżentanti ta’ setturi diversi, imma l-ebda rappreżentant tar-residenti, li huma minn tal-ewwel li jlaqqtu l-konsegwenzi mhux biss ta’ tniġġis u l-impatti konsiderevoli li jnaqqsu l-kwalità tal-ħajja imma issa anke bit-telfien ta’ ħajjithom ukoll. Ir-responsabbiltà għal dan ma jridx iġorrha biss min ħadem ħażin, u min kien fl-obbligu li jsegwi dak li kien qed isir u jippreveni f’każ ta’ bżonn, imma ukoll l-awtoritajiet regolatorji u min ħatarhom, ċjoe il-politiċi preżentement fil-Parlament.
Hu meħtieġ li l-Parlament jagħti lill-awtoritajiet regolatorji l-għodda biex iġibu l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni f’postha, għall-ordni. Kif għidna diversi drabi ma hemmx sal-lum il-volontà politika biex dan isir, għax meta jkun hemm iċ-ċaqlieq dan ikun nofs kedda. Il-fatt li l-lobbying għadu mhux regolat hu parti mill-problema u dan billi l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni/l-iżviluppaturi, huma viċin wisq tal-politiċi.
Hu meħtieġ Ii bla dewmien li l-awtorità li tirregola l-industrija tal-bini (BCA) jkollha iktar riżorsi, primarjament nies imħarrġa, biex ir-regolamentazzjoni issir sewwa. Kemm il-BCA u l-PA għandhom bżonn ukoll li jpoġġu l-interess tan-nies (ir-residenti) u tal-ekologija fiċ-ċentru tal-ħidma tagħhom, u dan qabel kwalunkwe konsiderazzjoni ekonomika.
Se ninsistu għaldaqstant li fl-industrija tal-bini min jaħdem jeħtieġ li jkun imħarreġ: dan ma jgħoddx biss għan-nies tas-sengħa imma ukoll għal min isuq il-makkinarju li jeħtieġ li jifhem eżatt x’inhu jagħmel u l-konsegwenzi ta’ dan.
Hemm il-ħtieġa li jkunu implimentati r-rakkomandazzjonijiet kollha tal-kummissjoni Quintano mingħajr iktar dewmien. Hu meħtieġ ukoll li nirregolaw il-lobbying b’mod immedjat. Jekk ma aħniex lesti biex nimxu b’dixxiplina stretta mal-industrija tal-bini, ma ndumux ma jkollna iktar minn dak li iffaċċjajna.