“Why do we enact laws and regulations are put in place if we are always finding ways how to go around these and absolving those who flout them?” ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo addressed a press conference in front of the Planning Authority offices this morning regarding the latest amnesty that will sanction ODZ abuses. He said that once again the Government is rewarding those who abuse and is continuing the transformation of the Planning Authority into an agent for the management of these abuses in return for the payment of a substantial fine.
ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said that successive governments have promised one thing but then acted in an opposite manner. The Labour Party has just pledged in its latest electoral manifesto that it will ensure that land outside the development zone (ODZ) will be safeguarded more than ever. But instead of protecting this land, today’s scheme will safeguard those who are involved in its abusive development, as long as they are willing to pay. Yes, the Labour Party in government is being consistent in the environmental sector, consistent in saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. What is happening today is a repetition of the first amnesty in favour of abusive development six years ago.
The Labour Party’s message is loud and clear: as long as you are willing to pay, you can do whatever you please because at the end of the day you will be protected by Labour. With Labour money talks!
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said this new scheme is extending the 2016 amnesty to also include infringements outside the development zones. This scheme includes primarily partial developments without a permit in ODZ zones.
This amnesty is an insult to those who are law-abiding and follow the rules and adhere to the development permit conditions. The amnesty is an admission of failure in enforcement. It is evident that this is needed due to the number of infringements in development in this country as evidenced by the number of enforcement notices that have accumulated over the years. A number that continues to increase, year-on-year, because the Planning Authority has not been able to enforce the law against those who acted in defiance. At times the Authority puts on a show to appear as if its taking action. But it is all a facade, because in reality no serious, systematic action is taken. So now, once again, those who abused are being told: if you pay up it would be as if nothing ever happened!
Instead of granting such amnesties, it would have been better had the government commenced the process so that ODZ areas that had been marked for development in 2006 are reversed back to ODZ status. Even though the revision of local plans has been under discussion for many years – including public consultation meetings – no concrete action has been taken to date.
One must reiterate that the Labour Party’s Electoral Manifesto for the election held eight months ago had unequivocally stated that land outside the development zone (ODZ) is to be safeguarded. What we get instead is that the Labour Party in government is doing everything in its power to justify such development. The last thing one would have expected at this time is an amnesty to justify more development abuses. The amnesty is rewarding those who abused while penalising those who followed the rules. It is a declaration that public administration has failed in its duty to enforce the law. The worrying take-away message is one: whatever you do with Labour you can always get it fixed! And they still have the cheek to speak of the rule of law with a straight face!
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“Għalfejn isiru il-liġijiet u r-regolamenti jekk kontinwament naraw kif isiru l-eċċezzjonijiet u nippruvaw niġġustifikaw lil min ma jimxix magħhom?” staqsa ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo meta indirizza konferenza stampa quddiem l-ufficini tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar dalgħodu dwar l-amnestija ġdida li tiġġustifika l-abbużi fl-ODZ. Huwa qal li għal darboħra l-Gvern qiegħed jippremja lil min abbuża u qiegħed ikompli jittrasforma lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar f’aġent għall-abbużi, fejn jekk tħallas multa sostanzjali tista’ tiġġustifika l-abbużi tal-iżvilupp.
Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal li repetutament il-Gvernijiet tal-pajjiż iwegħdu ħaġa u jagħmlu bil-maqlub. Il-Partit Laburista għadu ħiereġ minn elezzjoni ġenerali li fiha kellu manifest elettorali li fih wiegħed illi se jassigura illi ż-żona barra mill-linja tal-iżvilupp (l-ODZ) tkun imħarsa iktar minn qatt qabel. Minflok ma jħares l-art, bil-proposti tal-lum qed iħares lil min jabbuża, sakemm dak li jkun ikun lest li jħallas. Il-Labour fil-Gvern qed ikun konsistenti, konsistenti fil-mod illi fil-qasam ambjentali jimxi bil-maqlub ta’ kif wiegħed. Din l-amnestija tkompli fuq l-ewwel amnestija favur l-abbużi fil-qasam tal-ippjanar sitt snin ilu.
Il-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern qed jagħti l-messaġġ konsistenti li fil-qasam tal-ippjanar tista’ tħawwad għax b’xi mod jew ieħor fl-aħħar tirranġa, basta tħallas. Bil-flus mal-Labour tirranġa.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-iskema l-ġdida qegħda testendi l-amnestija li kienet ħarġet fl-2016 billi tinkludi ukoll żvilupp li jinstab barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp. Din l-iskema titkellem primarjament dwar żvilupp parzjali bla permess fl-ODZ.
Din l-amnestija hi insult lil min għażel li jimxi sewwa u josserva l-liġi u r-regolamenti u jimxi mal-kundizzjonijiet tal-permess ta’ żvilupp. L-amnestija hi dikjarazzjoni ta’ falliment fil-qasam tal-infurzar. Dan jidher li qed isir minħabba li hawn kwantità ta’ irregolaritajiet fil-bini fil-pajjiż kif rifless fin-numru ta’ ordnijiet ta’ infurzar li baqgħu pendenti tul is-snin. Numru li kompla jikber, sena wara l-oħra, għax l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ma kinitx kapaċi tinforza l-liġi quddiem min kien lest li jisfidaha. Kultant l-Awtorità tagħmel show biex taparsi qed tagħmel xogħolha. Pero wara din il-faċċata tat-teatrin ma hemm xejn, ma hemm l-ebda serjetà. Mela issa min sfida u għamel ta’ rasu qed jgħidulu: issa ħallas multa u qisu qatt ma kien xejn!
Minflok dawn l-amnestiji biex tiġġustifika l-iżvilupp ta’ art ODZ ikun iktar għaqli kienu l-Gvern jibda l-proċess biex art ODZ li fl-2006 saret tajba għal-iżvilupp ma tibqax żviluppabbli. Ilna s-snin issa nitkellmu dwar reviżjoni tal-pjani lokali. Saru anke laqgħat ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar dan imma s’issa għadu ma immaterjalizza xejn.
Irridu nemfasizzaw li l-Manifest Elettorali tal-Partit Laburista għall-elezzjoni ta’ tmien xhur ilu tkellem ċar dwar il-ħtieġa li l-art barra mil-linja tal-iżvilupp tkun imħarsa. Minflok il-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern issa qed jagħmel minn kollox biex jiġġustifika żvilupp abbużiv barra miż=żona tal-iżvilupp. L-inqas ħaġa li konna nistennew f’dan il-mument hi amnestija li tiġġustifika iktar l-abbużi ta’ żvilupp tal-art. L-amnestija qed tippremja lil min abbuża u fl-istess ħin qed tikkastiga lil min mexa sewwa. Hi fuq kollox dikjarazzjoni ta’ falliment fl-amministrazzjoni pubblika biex tinforza l-liġi. Tagħti messaġġ wieħed inkwetanti: għamel li trid għax mal-Labour tirranġa! Dawn ma jistħux jitkellmu fuq is-saltna tad-dritt!