Planning Authority is failing its own mission

It was an eye-opening experience reading Naxxar local council's executive secretary's letter on Inconvenience From Quarry Blasting In Naxxar (January 19).

One gladly notes that the council really does care about its "customers'" (its residents') problems and does its job also by doing its utmost to follow up complaints and to come up with solutions. Well done and thank you, Naxxar council!

On the other hand, one sadly observes that Mepa can be quite the opposite. In the business ethics sense of the word, Naxxar council is Mepa's "customer" and yet we are informed by the council that they "hardly get a response from them (Mepa)" to their letters and e-mails! Naxxar council also tells us that queries from the council to Mepa as to why quarry blasts continue, in spite of the fact that rock cutting should have stopped in June 2008, remain unanswered. Shame on you, Mepa!

Has anybody at Mepa read their own Mission Statement (www.mepa.org.mt/mission-statement)? On their own website, Mepa categorically declare the following (and more) as their Vision: "Our aim is to pass onto our children a better country than we inherited. It is for this very reason that we compare our environment to a treasure, something we place our energies in, to protect, care for and improve. The environment encompasses all - nature, cultural and architectural heritage, towns and villages, the countryside, the seas and air. We believe that together we should carefully plan so that our heritage, this gem which we treasure, will not fade away." Etc...

Mepa then tells us that its mission is to achieve its vision through responsibility and unstinting service; partnership which involves everyone's abilities; caring and commitment... We are also told that the guiding principles of their values shall be justice, commitment, professionalism and integrity.

Reading Mepa's Mission Statement did not help at all, nor did the four very strong blasts felt over the last 20 minutes (if it matters to anyone, it is 13:55 on Wednesday, January 20). I just feel totally disenchanted and frustrated and all this stems from simply being Maltese, and from living here and seeing this "treasure", which I inherited, gradually fading away. Incidentally, my three children all confirm that during their 30 odd years, they have seen Malta change...for the worse. So much for passing onto our children a better country than we inherited!

Mepa's mission is, very obviously, failing.