From Ms H. Caruana Galizia & Ms A. Vella

It seems to have become fashionable for certain writers to take pot-shots at groups who work in favour of the environment; after the vitriolic attack on environment NGOs by none other than the consultant to the Minister for the Environment, it seems even Marisa Micallef has fallen into that category. Her article “Falling buildings, fading façades” (TMIS, 22 April) offers a confused argument on the state Malta is in as a result of over-development. At the same time, she accuses one or all the environment NGOs of “attacking”, rather than being constructive by “coming around the table and looking at a strategy that could work for us all in the long term”. It is she who attacks, blaming the sins committed by the fathers on the children – “a perfect nation of Nimbys happy to live in flats where a developer once tore down a house”. However, she herself only offers solutions that are superficial and unworkable, given that they do not tie in with our regulatory framework.

Ms Micallef could not be more wrong bandying about accusations that NGOs have not come round the table to work out strategy, as some of Malta’s environment NGOs have done nothing but that all year. Our organisation, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA), has raised awareness and placed environmental health, heritage and planning issues firmly on the agenda in a way that it never was before. This alone has forced discussion where there previously was none. However, we did not stop there as we have been continuously pro-active, rather than make useless attacks.

One of our first acts was to draw up a document of suggestions for MEPA reform, which was handed to all our Parliamentarians and the EU. We have spent hours consulting professionals in every relevant field and worked with residents’ groups, local councils, MEPs and politicians of all parties. Far from Ms Micallef’s “divided camps”, we organised a Forum that brought different parties together in order to work towards understanding and solutions. We have held cordial and productive meetings with MEPA’s Users Committee, with the Minister of the Environment and with EU officials with the result that, thanks to our insistent pressure, as of this week the public has more rights in its dealings with MEPA. We have coordinated meetings with the MEPA Major Projects Unit and helped broker a better deal for residents. Further meetings will soon be held on planning and heritage issues and more information may be found on www.ambjentahjar.org

Let there be no mistake; FAA is no exception in this approach, as several other NGOs take on just as active and positive a role in their fields; unlike Ms Micallef and her staff, these volunteers are unpaid, but spend much of their time meeting government ministries and drawing up submissions on public consultation documents. Maybe one reason why we are not achieving more is because of the attitudes expressed in Ms Micallef’s article, which subscribe to the strategy of encouraging the apathy of our citizens, so convenient to our governments, by labelling them ‘Nimbys’ every time they press for their rights.

Ms Micallef should know very well that we do not just attack since she is well aware of the number of times we have praised her department’s initiative to rehabilitate old housing stock. It is all very well for her to propose “less politics” when it is very often politicians who interfere in the planning process, as well as aiding and abetting abusive developers by their lack of enforcement and repeated tolerance to the sanctioning of illegalities.

Furthermore, it is politicians who can make legislation and can revise that which is already on the statute book in order to better reflect the concerns of citizens. This priority is, however, often sadly lacking.

Helen Caruana Galizia

Astrid Vella

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar