As Katie Melua rightly opined in her epic Nine Million Bicycles tune, released in 2005, facts are facts and, as such, are inalienable. For instance, in the same way that, 17 years ago, an estimated nine million bicycles graced the streets of Beijing in China and that, globally, atmospheric temperatures are surging, overdevelopment in the Maltese islands cannot be contested nor denied.

The multifarious ways through which such overdevelopment expresses itself ensure that only those in a perpetual state of denial fail to appreciate the scale of such overdevelopment. Against such a backdrop, some of the assertions made by the nominated chairman of the Planning Authority – Emanuel Camilleri – during his grilling at the hands of Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee do raise eyebrows.

For instance, Camilleri reportedly would not be drawn into the merits of whether Malta was overdeveloped, even questioning the validity of responses provided by the public in response to a survey commissioned by the President’s Office.

There is obviously a welter of sustainability indicators, most of which being compiled by public entities (such as the PA, NSO, ERA) themselves, that Camilleri can consult in deciphering Malta’s actual status.

One can list Malta’s built-up footprint, for instance, which far outstrips the EU member state average, the plummeting extent of agricultural land, the clutter in a number of urban areas or the incessant construction mill and associa­ted impacts which bedevil and dog the lives of so many citizens on these islands as canaries in the mine.

Camilleri should take a leaf out of President George Vella’s hard-hitting speech delivered a few weeks back prior to his bestowment of the CORALLO project trophy for environmental advocacy. During the speech, the president made an impassioned and ardent appeal to those in authority to stall the environmental despoilment of the country in what was probably the most vehement of solicitations made by his office during his three-year tenure.

It is indeed a pity that Camilleri was not a direct recipient of the speech, as,  otherwise, he would probably be less ambiguous in his assessment of Malta’s development status.

With development tycoons unashamedly calling for the good times to ensue (Joseph Portelli’s assertion that the islands need another 100 years of development springs to mind here), Camilleri should have the gravitas to redress somewhat the balance towards a planning system which is more sensitive and responsible.

Failing to give the slightest nod to the overdeveloped state of these islands reeks of insensitivity- Alan Deidun

One can concede that a professional designated to head the Planning Authority does not have the luxury to speak at liberty his mind or to adopt, a priori, entrenched positions. But failing to give the slightest nod to the overdeveloped state of these islands reeks of insensitivity, especially when this is coupled with an exaltation or a complete lack of awareness of existing planning frameworks.

Camilleri, in fact, expressed a fairly positive assessment of the SPED (Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development), which has been lambasted on numerous occasions by those in the know for its generic and permissive policies, which are not always adhered to during decision-making stages.

As to lancing the real source of abuse behind the deluge of ODZ permits issued by the Planning Authority’s commissions during the past 10 years – the ignominious RPDG (Rural Policy and Design Guidelines) – there is very little hope there too, it seems, since Camilleri admitted a lack of familiarity with the same guidelines.

A revision of the same permissive ODZ policies had been pledged by the former environment minister, Aaron Farrugia way back in 2019, following repeated outcries in the media but such an overhaul has never materialised.

One of the few silver linings that did emerge, however, from the designate PA chairman’s grilling is the need for more frequent and regular revision of existing policies, given that Camilleri touted that a reassessment every three years would be preferable over the current five years. In an age where adaptive management is the model to follow, these are wise words indeed.

Camilleri has a long and arduous road in front of him if he is to leave any notable legacy behind. First and foremost, he should strive to prove his critics wrong by familiarising himself with the fine print of the existing planning framework and, secondly, he should apply sorely-needed and effective (not cosmetic) surgery to the gamut of permissive policies plaguing our remaining besieged ODZ swathes.

And he should definitely not shy away from speaking his own mind from time to time. While investing in more “national parks within walking distance” is a laudable target, safeguarding undeveloped areas from piecemeal development and abuse should be the policy to pursue given that manicured and heavily-engineered landscapes can never compensate for a natural and rural fabric.