A moratorium on large-scale residential development is long overdue in light of the large number of vacant properties in Malta, Alternattiva Demokratika said yesterday.

The regulation of political parties’ funding would also ease the pressure of the building development lobby on politicians, AD said.

The party was presenting its reactions to the government’s proposed environment policy following a meeting with Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco on Friday.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio said the government would have done better to adopt the recommendations of the National Commission for Sustainable Development, which have been “ignored” for over two years.

An effective environment policy should be based on the concept of sustainable development through which environmental, social and economic considerations are given due importance, he said.