The Church’s Environment Commission (KA) has urged the government to come up with its own national study on property, saying that a study carried out by the private sector can be biased.

It was referring to the recent announcement by the Malta Developers Association that it had commissioned KPMG to carry out a three year study on property development.

The KA said that, whilst acknowledging the benefits of the study, the government and the competent authorities, including the Planning Authority, should still take the initiative and launch a national study on property, as they are duty bound to do.

“Such a study would go beyond the interests pertaining to a particular section of Maltese society, in that it would take into account every aspect related to the quality of life of one and all. Only in this way will the study serve as an effective instrument for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development, and the setting out and execution of the Local Plans.”

The KA said it had already urged the government to carry out a national study in 2015. “The KA has reiterated its appeal in a communication to the Government before the presentation of the budget for 2017 and in a number of other times. But no such study was forthcoming. The KA is somewhat surprised that just a few weeks after the President of the MDA declared on a radio talk show that there was no need for such study, the association is now commissioning a study that will tackle some of the aspects that the KA thinks should feature in a similar study.”

The KA said the fact that a study was being carried out was positive since it would be “folly to take rash decisions on issues that are so crucial given the limited space of our islands. While a contractor or developer is free to risk his financial capital in any way he pleases, our country cannot continue to put up with building projects which have been declared as failures (or, as they are more commonly known nowadays, “unsustainable”) by whoever was responsible for them.”

It warned, however, that since the promoter came from the private sector, “one risks ending up in a situation where the inferences drawn from the results would not be holistic enough to allow for the right decisions to be taken on a national level, both by the government and by the planning authority, simply because such a study would be satisfying the remit of whoever would have commissioned it.”

The commission also took exception to comments by Sandro Chetcuti, including when he stated that the study was being carried out “to substantiate our long-held beliefs” and “we will be examining the outcome so that the policies that are put forward and the MDA’s proposals, among other stakeholders, will have greater credibility and you (Prime Minister) will be more comfortable understanding why we are proposing certain policies.”  

The KA said the feeling that one is already aware of what the results of a study before its completion does not augur well.

“It is important that the interpretation of the results be carried out in an objective way and without any prejudice whatsoever. Otherwise it would be useless to carry out the study in a scientific and scrupulous manner.”

The KA said it has always insisted that the progress of a nation should not be based simply on how flourishing its economy is, without taking into consideration the social and environmental aspects, and how these are affected by the decisions taken.

It said comments by Mr Chetcuti to the effect that the “we (the MDA) want what we do to be done with a certain sustainability and certain responsibility”.

“Why [certain] sustainability? Living sustainably is no longer an option but a responsibility. It would be a mistake to promote lifestyles or allow developments that put in jeopardy our common heritage, so as not to upset the personal interests of a minority of individuals."

We can no longer regard the building industry as if it were the only industry that sustains the economy of our country, the KA said. “We need to seriously consider the effect of the lack of space and building trends on the quality of life on other industries and on the Maltese themselves. Once again, the KA appeals that as a nation we would learn from past mistakes, and commit ourselves to a more sustainable future, where the indicator for a good quality of life would not be financial gain, but a sense of justice, respect for all creation and solidarity. Such values will enable us to regard the good of our islands as a legacy bequeathed to all present and future inhabitants.”