Environmental activists and the Opposition have expressed their shock at former Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg’s reappointment, describing him as coming "back from the skip of history” and bad news for conservation efforts.

Developers and architects, meanwhile, called on Buttigieg to spearhead "much-needed reforms" of planning policies and procedures.

Earlier on Tuesday, it emerged that Buttigieg will return to head the Planning Authority (PA) six years after he stepped down, a move understood to be in response to an ever-growing backlog of planning applications.

His first tenure at the authority was marked by controversy and he was often plagued by accusations of conflict of interest and suspicions over his pay packet – issues activists pounced on as evidence of his unsuitability for the role.

He famously paid to fly a PA board member to Malta by private jet to vote on a mega-development and told business mogul Yorgen Fenech he would "do business" with him any time. 

'Surreal' reappointment

In a statement, NGO Moviment Graffitti said Buttigieg had been brought “back from the skip of history” while describing him as “known for his unrestrained support for the interests of our country's biggest and most corrupt thieves.”

Moviment Graffitti activist Andre Callus called his reappointment “surreal” and “shameless” while blasting a “spree” of development during Buttigieg’s previous tenure and controversies surrounding his dealings with business mogul Yorgen Fenech.

“It just shows how Robert Abela and his government have become completely unhinged,” he said.

Responding to suggestions that Buttigieg had been brought in to deal with an ever-growing backlog of planning applications, Callus said his return would not help matters, while describing any such problem as the “fault of defective planning policies.”

“If they [the government] want to the make the PA more efficient, they don’t need him; they need someone with integrity – something Johann Buttigieg certainly is not.”

Fellow activist Wayne Flask called outgoing CEO Olivier Magro’s departure “a move of distrust in a friend of the Prime Minister, who found himself as CEO with no qualifications in either planning or administration,” adding that “no one will mourn him."

Posting on Facebook, the Il-Kollettiv founder said the government had resorted to bringing back an “exile” now that those “willing to take the short stick of planning are gone.”

“The reheated soup is not good, especially if the ingredients are nepotism, complacency and spinelessness of any kind,” said Flask.

“For the rest, the signal that Abela is giving from within Castille is that developers are worth more than voters.”

'Turning back the clock'

Meanwhile, Din l-Art Ħelwa president Patrick Calleja said he was “extremely surprised” by Buttigieg’s appointment, describing the returning CEO as “compromised by his consultancies with private developers.”

Buttigieg’s appointment showed that contrary to the government’s claims of focusing on quality, it was instead focused on “pushing through” projects, Calleja said, adding that speeding up development should not be the government’s focus.

He described it as “bad news” for conservation efforts.

Astrid Vella, who heads the NGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar said that time and again at the Planning Authority Board, Buttiġieġ was seen acting as the developers' advocate, pushing through permits which, she said, broke all the regulations. "Now we are to go through that again, and see our islands' environment, heritage and quality of life deteriorate further, beyond the point of no return."

In a statement signed by Shadow Planning Minister Stanley Zammit, the Nationalist Party described Buttigieg’s return as “turning back the clock” and a demonstration of Prime Minister Robert Abela having “no one left to turn to or rely on.”

The Opposition said Abela’s “game of musical chairs" had now become a "necessity because he simply has no other options."

The PA has faced complaints of long planning application processing times. File photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

The PN insisted that the PA should be “an independent institution, free from any political interference, promoting sustainable development” a remit it said could only be achieved by planning reform and “not by turning back the clock and recycling controversial appointments, including individuals who have been shown to have close ties to people implicated in some of the most serious crimes and scandals in recent years.”

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola questioned the appointment, asking why Abela was “rehabilitating a proven crook.” 

He said this was further reason for the people to take to the streets to force the resignation of a political administration that is "corrupt to the marrow.” 

NGO Repubblika condemned the appointment.   

"How can we trust Johann Buttiġieġ, when one of his first actions when he was CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority were to award a consultancy contract to Konrad Mizzi, who had just resigned as minister under scandalous circumstances?" it asked. 

Congratulations and calls for reform

The National Building Council (NBC) – comprised of the Malta Development Association and the Chamber of Architects (KTP) – congratulated Buttigieg on his appointment while highlighting sector issues and “grave inefficiencies encumbering the authority itself.”

In a seeming nod to suggestions of PA delays, the council said planning processes required “major reform to minimise delays and unnecessary bureaucracy,” which it said only added to housing affordability issues and “procedural abuse and inconsistencies.”

Stressing the need for policy changes, the council said “better design outcomes and more sustainable development must be at the centre of the authority’s focus in the year ahead.”