It took a while but it’s finally here, and it’s good. Much better than we expected, in fact.

We’re talking about the revised fuel station policy, which had been in the works for years and, quite frankly, should not have taken so long to complete.

It all started in 2015 when the Planning Authority introduced a new policy that allowed for the relocation of fuel stations from urban areas to ODZ. The policy was flawed for many reasons, including that small village petrol stations could suddenly turn into sprawling complexes, complete with car wash facilities, tyre repair shops and a myriad of other previously inexistent features.

A revised policy was published for public consultation around this time last year, but that too had to go back to the drawing board after the numerous complaints received.

This time, the government got it right.

Perhaps the best part of the new policy, unveiled this week by Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia, is the capping of fuel stations at current numbers. This newspaper, along with many environmental groups had long argued that Malta and Gozo’s 89 fuel stations were more than enough.

They were more than enough especially when considering that the country is supposed to be moving towards greener transport, and when the previous administration had pledged to phase out fossil fuel-driven vehicles within a couple of decades.

We had also argued that turning an old 300 square metre fuel station into a new 3,000 square meter facility on virgin land was plain crazy.

Moviment Graffiti, which was at the forefront of the battle against new fuel stations, staged several protests, including one on the doorstep of the Planning Authority in Floriana. A number of activists were injured in one such protest that took place in 2018, when they were forcibly removed by the police. While that situation should never have been allowed to take place, we can at least say that the protests led to something positive. The pressure worked.

Minister Farrugia had promised to deliver a revised fuel stations policy within a hundred days of taking office and he has achieved what few environment ministers before him have achieved – a sound policy that has been lauded by even the harshest of environmental critics.

The policy was drawn up not only with the Planning Authority but also with the environment watchdog – the ERA – and, throughout the process the ministry consulted with all stakeholders. The end result is a policy which truly strikes a balance between planning and the environment.

Apart from capping the number of fuel stations, the new policy also places several restrictions on the use of ODZ. No applications for new fuel stations will be accepted – the policy only allows for the relocation of existing fuel stations.

Not only that, the maximum size of fuel stations on ODZ has been reduced by two-thirds – from 3,000sqm to 1,000sqm. Extensions of existing fuel stations which are located either partially or fully in ODZ land will not be accepted, and neither will applications for the construction of fuel stations on agricultural land. The 500-metre buffer zone has been reintroduced.

Besides the fuel stations policy, Farrugia’s ministry is also working on two other important projects. The first, announced last week, is the Maghtab espansion project, which will include the waste-to-energy plant. Again, too much time has been wasted, by different administrations, discussing a project that should have been treated as a national priority from the get-go.

Painful decisions have been taken, for this project will impact a number of farmers in the area, but at least someone has finally got the ball rolling.

The ministry is also working on a review of the Spatial Plan for the Environment and Development, or SPED, and which is often referred to as the planning bible. We trust that this all too important policy review will be carried out with the same vigour and spirit of consultation, and will eventually lead to planning rules that lead to intelligent planning that respects the environment, rather than the interests of developers.

The environment minister and his team have shown that sound policies should not take years to be drafted. This should be the new benchmark in the drawing up of strategies and policies from now onwards.

The next big thing for the environment ministry is tackling the construction waste dumping issue. We know that we still have space in numerous empty quarries and that some of the owners are refusing to accept construction debris despite having been given the permits to do so.

One hopes that Farrugia succeeds where his predecessor failed and manages to find a timely and common-sense solution in this sector too.