Send a strong signal on the environment, eNGOs urge voters

A coalition of environmental NGOs have called on all environmentally minded voters to send a strong signal about the urgent need for a change of direction for the country in these matters.

In a statement, the coalition encouraged that the election debate appears to be shifting away from the government’s controversial developer-led planning reform and towards broader concerns about the country’s planning system.

In a joint statement analysing the election manifestos of the parties contesting the election, the NGOs said the Planning Reform previously proposed by the government – and strongly opposed by environmental groups – no longer appeared to be on the agenda in its original form.

They noted that the Labour Party had not reintroduced the reform “in its current form”, although some elements still featured elsewhere in its manifesto.

The PN, they said, was proposing a different reform based on public consultation and discussions with NGOs, insisting that planning policy should not be driven by “political convenience or speculation”.

Momentum has proposed replacing the reform with a white paper on wider national reforms, while ADPD has opposed the planning reform altogether and pledged to curb unsustainable development.

On local plans, the eNGOs said Labour’s proposal to revise all local plans in order to address “contradictions” and create more “uniformity” and “certainty” raised concerns.

They argued these “contradictions” appeared to refer mainly to developers being unable to maximise projects because of differing policies applying to specific sites. The NGOs also warned against any attempt to revise development boundaries to address perceived “injustices” from the 2006 rationalisation exercise.

They urged Labour to clarify its intentions before the election.

By contrast, they described the PN’s proposal to revise local plans according to the “real capacity” of towns – taking into account infrastructure, population, character and quality of life – as a stronger basis for reform, while warning that any revision process could still open the door to weaker planning rules.

Momentum and ADPD also backed a proposal long advocated by NGOs to return undeveloped rationalisation sites on the outskirts of towns to ODZ status.

The NGOs also welcomed a number of environmental proposals in the party manifestos.

Labour has proposed updated aesthetic guidelines, new buffer zones around urban conservation areas and tighter restrictions on development in ODZ areas – proposals the NGOs described as positive, while expressing hope they would not once again be derailed by vested interests.

They also praised the PN’s proposal to entrench ODZ boundaries and require a two-thirds parliamentary majority for any changes, as well as giving the Environment and Resources Authority veto powers over ODZ development applications.

On Comino, however, the NGOs expressed disappointment at the lack of consensus among parties on stronger protections for the island.

While the PN pledged to publish the island’s carrying capacity study and launch a public consultation, Momentum proposed stricter protections for the Natura 2000 site and ADPD called for a total development ban. Labour made no proposals on Comino.

The NGOs warned that without stronger action, “a free-for-all by commercial operators” could continue on one of Malta’s most ecologically sensitive sites.

The statement was signed by the Ramblers’ Association of Malta, Moviment Graffitti, Friends of the Earth Malta, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Nature Trust Malta, Wirt Għawdex, Għawdix, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent.