In a country where land use planning is an exercise in lip service, and with little to no impact assessment, it is now becoming more evident than ever that massive land development, as well as the development of multiple-storied buildings, should be subjected to a moratorium. ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Melissa Bagley, who is also a candidate for the fifth district, highlighted the urgent need to reconsider the current malpractices that are threatening the quality of life in many towns and villages in the south of Malta 

“As we can see, large swathes of agricultural land in an area in In-Nigret, Iż-Żurrieq – around 11,000 square metres – are scheduled for development.  We are not talking about one development, but at least four separate developments in an area which was earmarked for development in the 2006 rationalization exercise.   These separate developments appear to be a classic ‘salami-slicing’ exercise to skirt around the conditions of the original rezoning permit. This is a known practice to avoid the need for the studies required for large projects, and therefore presenting the development in smaller separate projects is an attempt to bypass the need for such studies. 

What we are seeing today is the result of the rezoning of the 2006 rationalization scheme by the PN-led government in 2006, with the result that 2 million square meters for earmarked for development overnight without any forethought of the impact this will have in future.  It must be kept in mind that when this was announced, the PL, which was in opposition at the time, voted in Parliament against this move.  However, once in government, this was conveniently forgotten. 

In order to stop these damaging practices, ADPD proposes the following:

o   The immediate cancellation of the rationalization exercise,, and any land originally included in it that is undeveloped should be reclassified as ODZ land.

o   A moratorium on the development of  large-scale developments as well as multi-storied buildings until such time that cumulative impacts of such development are quantified and catered for.

o   Address our current open spaces: before developing new open spaces, iit would be much better if we seek to protect those we already have, both manmade ones (large private gardens in urban areas) and others that are already provided by nature. 

o    agricultural land should remain protected as agricultural land for farmers to till and grow crops.

o   The assurance that the Planning Authority should be independent from government interference, with board members scrutinized for suitability against clear regulations regarding any potential conflicts of interest.

“Land use planning is of utmost importance for our country as land is a very limited resource, and therefore should be dealt with in a manner that benefits the whole community.  The Planning Authority is there for the common good, and not for the good of the few who dominate the sector in the pursuit of personal gain.  We as ADPD stand for the common good, for all, together,” concluded Bagley.

A vote for the usual suspects is a vote for perpetual savage overdevelopment.

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PR17/05/2026 L-Art hi riżorsa prezzjuża, u hemm bżonn li nippjanaw bil-ħsieb għall-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri.

F’pajjiż fejn l-ippjanar dwar l-użu tal-art mhux għajr kliem fieragħ, u fejn bilkemm issir valutazzjoni tal-impatt fuq l-ambjent, issa huwa ċar aktar minn qatt qabel li hemm bżonn moratorju fuq żvilupp massiċċ tal-art, kif ukoll fuq bini għoli ġdid. Melissa Bagley, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party u kandidata fuq il-ħames distrett saħqet dwar il-bżonn urġenti sabiex nevalwaw mill-ġdid drawwiet inaccettabbli li jheddu l-kwalità tal-ħajja f’ħafna bliet u rħula fin-nofsinhar ta’ Malta . 

Huwa ċar li firxiet kbar ta’ art agrikola f’In-Nigret, Iż-Żurrieq – madwar 11,000 metru kwadru – huma skedati għall-iżvilupp. M’aħniex insemmu żvilupp ta’ plot, imma tal-anqas ta’ erba’ proġetti differenti f’żona li kienet immarkata għall-iżvilupp fl-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni tal-2006. Jidher li dawn it-talbiet saru separatament sabiex jevitaw il-kundizzjonijiet oriġinali tal-permess tal-bidla fl-użu tal-art. Din hi tattika magħrufa sew, bil-għan li jiġu evitati l-istudji meħtieġa għal proġetti akbar. 

Illum qegħdin naraw il-konsegwenzi tal-iskema tar-razzjonalizzazzjoni tal-2006 li kien nieda l-gvern immexxi mill-Partit Nazzjonalista, fejn żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art ġew immarkati għall-iżvilupp, hekk, ħabta u sabta, mingħajr ebda ħsieb dwar l-impatt fil-futur. Ma ninsewx li meta din l-iskema tħabbret, il-Partit Laburista, li dak iż-żmien kien fl-oppożizzjoni, ivvota kontrieha fil-Parlament. Madankollu, meta l-PL tela’ fil-Gvern, l-oġġezzjonijiet konvenjentement intesew. 

Sabiex inwaqqfu dawn id-drawwiet ta’ ħsara, ADPD jipproponi dan li ġej:

o   Hemm bżonn l-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni jitwaqqaf minnufih, u li art li kien ikopri u li għadha ma ġietx żviluppata mill-ġdid titqies bħala ODZ.

o   Moratorju fuq żviluppi massiċċi kif ukoll fuq bini għoli, sakemm isiru l-istudji kollha meħtieġa biex nifhmu ahjar l-impatti fit-tul u jsir l-ippjanar meħtieġ.

o   Qabel ma noħolqu spazji miftuħa ġodda, ikun  aħjar li nħarsu dawk li diġà għandna, kemm dawk mahluqa mill-bniedem, bħal ma huma ġonna kbar privati f’żoni urbani, kif ukoll oħrajn naturali. 

o   Art agrikola li illum hija protetta, għandha tibqa’ protetta għat-tkabbir ta’ frott u ħxejjex.

o  Hemm bżonn is-serħan tal-moħħ li l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tkun indipendenti mill-indħil tal-Gvern. Il-membri tal-bord għandhom ikunu evalwati sew skont regolamenti ċari kontra l-kunflitt ta’ interess.  

“L-ippjanar tal-użu tal-art hu ta’ importanza kbira f’pajjiżna; l-art hi riżors tassew skars,  għalhekk, hemm bżonn li tintuża b’mod li jwassal għall-ġid tal-komunità kollha. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar teżisti sabiex tħares il-ġid komuni, u mhux l-interessi tal-ftit li jiddominaw is-settur għal gwadann personali. ADPD jemmen fil-ġid komuni, għalina lkoll”, temmet tgħid Bagley.

Vot għall-oħrajn huwa vot għal żvilupp salvaġġ u bla rażan.