During a press conference held jointly by Alternattiva Demokratika and Partit Demokratiku in front of the offices of the Planning Authority the theme of rampant overdevelopment was discussed.

Carmel Axiak, a spokesperson for Partit Demokratiku said that it is a well known fact that government after government in Malta have always rolled out the red carpet for the construction industry. “We are in a sorry state. The system favours the construction industry and property speculators. These people are given a free hand to do as they please at the expense of the environment and our wellbeing. Astronomical profits are being made while common people and workers have to pay through their mouths for a decent place to live in.”

“Prime Minister Abela said that good governance is a priority for his government, but in the same breath he said that he does not want to control the construction industry. Does this mean that developers will continue benefitting from the current free for all? Two examples of shameless illegalities come to mind as an example of this free for all. A cement plant in San Lawrenz Gozo is still operating despite an enforcement order by the PA. The owners of this plant are also allegedly involved in a case of false declarations about a huge development in Qala. These are only two cases of the many we hear about, who knows how many more such cases we remain unaware of?”

“State authorities do not really care about the huge environmental damage being caused every day, by private entities but also by state entities. The only thing they care about is a semblance of ‘progress’, and probably making sure that ‘friends of friends’ are making a quick buck. We need serious people who do not have conflicts of interest to lead the Planning Authrity. We need laws to be enforced, without fear or favour.”

Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo insisted that the building industry be curtailed. He said:”The building industry should be curtailed in order to address over-development and an environmental deficit which is spirally out of control.  Government should desist from the spinning fairy-tales on environment and land use planning moving hand in hand in order to attain a misconstrued and imaginary balance. Instead it should be understood once and for all that the current practice of land use planning without a serious consideration of its environmental impact is a basic recipe for the developing disaster.”

“The building industry’s greed has already caused too much damage. The MDA’s call over the years to make more “hay while the sun shines” followed from the clear government signals encouraging unbridled development. AD calls for government to immediately take steps to ensure that environmental deficit caused in part by the building industry is addressed. No one will bail us out. We have to address it ourselves.”

“The building industry keeps insisting on subsidies to address its construction waste. Some weeks ago it was reported that the management of two quarries at Għar Lapsi and Mqabba had unilaterally decided to increase their dumping charges from €8 to €15 per tonne of construction waste. In reaction, MDA lobbied for a subsidies and we learnt that government had agreed to provide incentives to the quarry owners to keep the price stable at €8 per tonne for at least another year and a half.”

“Unfortunately government has a perverted understanding of the polluter-pays environmental principle. Instead of ensuring that the construction industry cleans up its act and adequately addresses the question of how to deal with waste that it generates, the government is irresponsibly using taxpayers’ money to subsidise their mess.”

“The building industry could do with a substantial dose of good governance in the regulatory structures which oversea land use planning. It is about time that all members of the planning authority are subject to a public screening. This would go a long way to nip in the bud and avoid appointing as members of regulatory bodies persons who have an interest in the further intensification of building development. The environmental deficit which has spiralled out of control will not be achieved by gimmicks but through concrete action.”

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L-industrija tal-bini: Robert Abela iridha tibqa’ għaddejja bħal gaffa minn fuqna

Illum quddiem l-uffiċċji tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar saret konferenza stampa konġunta minn Alternattiva Demokratika u l-Partit Demokratiku.

Carmel Axiak, kelliem għall-Partit Demokratiku qal:”Ħabib kbir tiegħi, ilu ħafna snin, kien qalli: Ikun hemm min ikun hemm fil-gvern, Malta dejjem il-kuntrattur jiggvernaha. Kliem li juri l-istat miskin tal-politika Maltija f’dan il-qasam. Matul iż-żminijiet, ħloqna sistema li fiha l-iżviluppatur u l-ispekulatur tal-propjetà għamilnihielu faċli li jisfrutta lil artna, lill-ambjent u lill-ħaddiem; jistagħna dejjem aktar u jkollu dejjem aktar poter biex jiġbed l-ispaga tal-politiku. Ċirku vizzjuż li wassal għal kważi fewdaliżmu modern, filwaqt li l-ħaddiem jissallab għal kważi ħajtu kollha biex ikollu saqaf fuq rasu.”

“Il-Prim Ministru Abela qalilna li l-amministrazzjoni tiegħu ser timxi b’governanza tajba. Imma qalilna wkoll li l-industrija tal-bini mhux ser titrażżan. Allura dan ifisser li l-iżviluppatur huwa ‘l fuq mill-liġi? F’Novembru li għadda, sirna nafu li impjant tal-konkos illegali kien għadu għaddej f’ San Lawrenz, u dan minkejja li kien hemm ordni ta’ infurzar mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Is-sidien ta’ dan l-impjant huma wkoll allegatament involuti f’dikjarazzjonijiet foloz fil-każ ta’ żvilupp kbir fil-Qala. Dawn huma żewġ każijiet mill-għexieren li nisimgħu bihom, barra minn dawk li ma nisimgħux.”

“Qegħdin naraw issir ta’ kuljum ħerba mill-ambjent. U dan mhux biss minn interessi privati imma saħansitra minn istituzzjoniet tal-istat, li jimpurtahomx mill-liġi, l-aqwa li nidhru li qed nagħmlu progress, u forsi, fl-istess ħin, nieħdu ħsieb il-ħbieb tal-ħbieb ukoll. Il-Partit Demokratiku jisħaq li ma nistgħux nippretendu li qegħdin inħarsu s-saltna tad-dritt, jekk il-liġi ma napplikawhiex għal kulħadd l-istess. Jeħtieġ li n-nies responsabbli mill-ippjanar ikunu magħżula bil-għaqal, ħalli jistgħu japplikaw il-liġijiet u r-regolamenti mingħajr konflitt ta’ interess. Jeħtieġ li nibdew naħsbu f’miżuri legali u fiskali bil-għan li jkun hemm aktar bilanċ bejn is-sid u l-ħaddiem, bil-għan li jkollna soċjetà aktar ekwa u ġusta.”

Carmel Cacpardo, Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party qal:”L-industrija tal-bini, bil-kontra ta’ dak li qal Robert Abela, għandha titrażżan, biex nindirizzaw l-problema kbira ta’ żvilupp bla rażan. Mhux talli m’hemmx hekk imsejjaħ ‘bilanċ’, kif iħobb jgħid Robert Abela, talli għanda defiċit ambjentali enormi f’pajjiżna. Il-ftaħir tal-gvern li l-ftt li l-ippjanar u l-ambjent qegħdin issa taħt ministeru wieħed u allura se jkun hemm l-hekk imsejjaħ bilanċ hija ħrafa kbira. L-impatt ambjentali tal-użu tal-art għandu jkun il-kejl li fuqu jittieħdu deċiżjonijiet ta’ ippjanar. Bħalissa dawn il-kunsiderazzjonijiet ma jittieħdux bis-serjetà fil-proċess tal-ippjanar. Dan wassal għal diżastru sħiħ fl-ippjanar.”

“L-industrija tal-bini diġà għamlet ħsara kbira lill-pajjiżna. L-għaqda tal-iżviluppaturi tul is-snin mxew bil-mantra ‘aħtaf kemm tista’ Ġuż!’ jew inkella ‘make hay while the sun shines’ – u dan bil-kompliċità u l-barka tal-gvern. Gvern wara ieħor li inkoraġġixxa żvilupp bla rażan.”

“Alternattiva Demokratika issejjaħ biex b’mod immedjat il-gvern jieħu l-passi meħtieġa biex jindirizza d-defiċit ambjentali maħluq mill-industrija tal-bini u minn oqsma oħra. Dan id-defiċit m’hu se jiġi ħadd minn barra ‘jħallasulna’, irridu nħallsuh aħna bħala Maltin.”

“L-industrija tal-bini qed tibqa’ tinsisti, per eżempju, fuq sussidji pubbliċi biex tindirizza l-problema tal-iskart tal-kostruzzjoni. Xi ġimgħat ilu ġie irrappurtat illi l-management ta’ żewġ barrieri f’Għar Lapsi u l-Imqabba iddeċidew li jgħollu l-ħlas biex jintrema skart tal-kostruzzjoni fihom minn €8 għal €15 għal kull tunnellata skart. L-għaqda tal-iżviluppaturi, l-MDA, riedet is-sussidji mingħand il-gvern biex il-prezz jinżamm €8 kull tunnellata għal tal-inqas sena u nofs oħra.”

“Il-gvern, wera li għandu idea perversa tal-prinċipju ta’ min iniġġes iħallas (il-polluter pays principle) u minflok saħaq li l-industija tal-kostruzzjoni tara kif tnaqqas l-iskart u tara hi kif tiġġestixxi l-iskart li toħloq, uża flus pubbliċi mit-taxxi tagħna biex jissussidja l-ħsara li qed tagħmel din l-industrija. Aħna kollha qed nagħtu flusna mhux għal edukazzjoni, saħħa u trasport aħjar iżda lill-industija privata tal-bini.”

“Hemm bżonn doża qawwija ta’ governanza tajba fil-qasam tar-regolazzjoni tal-ippjanar. Il-membri tal-bordijiet tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar għandhom jgħaddu minn smiegħ pubbliku qabel jiġu appuntati. Dan jgħin biex min mhux adegwat u min għandu interessi li l-iżvilupp ikompli jintensifika jitwarrab jew issir pressjoni biex jitwarrab għax l-intenzjonijiet tagħhom jiġu esposti pubblikament.”

“Id-defiċit ambjentali, li bħalissa sploda ‘l fuq, jista’ jitnaqqas mhux bit-teatrini u l-gimmicks iżda b’azzjoni iffokata u serja.”