The government has been dragging its feet on restoring some order in the use of public land by all citizens.

Things now seem to be moving towards freeing the shoreline from clusters of caravans that restrict access to the many others who want to enjoy our coastline by means other than owning a home on wheels plonked down by the sea.

Times of Malta recently revealed that the localities of Naxxar, Birżebbuġa, Marsaxlokk, Xgħajra and Marsascala have been discussing with the government ways of regulating the parking of caravans and motorhomes on public land on the coastline. It will become illegal for caravans and motorhomes to encroach on spaces along Malta’s coast unless their owners apply to station themselves in specially designated sites against payment.

The local councils must be congratulated for taking action more than a year ago to push back against the invasion of caravan owners. The Naxxar council had proposed a by-law to regulate caravans but it was turned down by the central government, even though similar by-laws existed in Mellieħa, Marsascala and Sannat. Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo had announced that “the authorities would work on a holistic plan that would eliminate conflicts over land use for recreational purposes”.

Perhaps that plan is starting to come to fruition in regard to caravans. Still, the ‘open spaces for all’ rhetoric of the government does sound a little hollow in the face of its failure to curb the spread of coastal shanty towns. The importation of caravans seems equally unrestricted, despite the fact that the country has not yet set up a single proper caravan site serviced by the necessary sanitary facilities.

The rhetorical commitment to quality tourism is equally unconvincing while the islands’ coastline, the country’s greatest selling point, continues to be degraded by a small minority of caravan owners who have an inflated sense of entitlement to the exclusive enjoyment of public land.

It is unclear why the government has not yet made a public announcement on how it intends to regulate the use of public land on our shoreline. And it seems that the new rules aimed at controlling the parking of caravans will still allow local councils to permit such vehicles to be parked in non-designated areas against a fee of €10 a day.

Granting this prerogative to local councils could create a loophole in the new regulations. By paying a small fee, a caravan owner will be able to park outside the designated caravan sites. And it will be very tempting for councils, which are always in need of funds, to dole out such permissions. The risk here is that the abuse of the few against the rights of the majority will be perpetuated.

The government has a credibility mountain to climb to convince the majority that it really cares about preserving the fragile urban, rural and coastal environment.

Public resistance to the exploitation of the environment for commercial or even personal advantage is growing and will continue to do so. Many are increasingly becoming aware that environmental degradation affects their quality of life.

One hopes that local councils, of whatever political hue, will continue to prioritise the common good of the community they serve. We need more mayors and councillors of integrity who make a stand on the issues that affect their local community, even if the central government’s policies and practices dictate otherwise.

Enjoyment of the shoreline cannot be limited to those who have the means to treat it as their private property. Public land belongs to us all.