Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar held a meeting with President George Vella in order to discuss the increasing threat to Malta’s quality of life due to the congestion of over-development combined with loss of trees and open spaces.
The President was presented with a copy of FAA’s Environment Charter which has been endorsed by eight social partners, along with many NGOs and Local Councils. FAA urged that the process of Constitutional Reform should include the dropping of the clause that stipulates that the public cannot take legal action against Goverment for failure to protect the public’s right to a healthy environment. This prevents the public from taking legal action to ensure the Constitutional committment to redress “environmental degradation in Malta, including that of air, water and land, and any sort of pollution problem and to promote, nurture and support the right of action in favour of the environment.” However the President pointed out that such a reform would require a change in the constitution.
President George Vella advised FAA to refer planning shortcomings to the authorities, however the NGO pointed out that the Planning Authority and Environment Resource Authority are betraying their remit to protect the community by acting as the developers’ agents.
FAA went on to outline the damage to quality of life that would come about as a result of Midi’s Manoel Island project and explained that FAA is campaigning to reduce the number of apartments in order to ensure that Valletta and Floriana’s bastions remain visible from Gzira, with the President recalling that UNESCO has in the past raised the risk to Valletta’s World Heritage status. FAA highlighted the fact that Midi’s contract stipulates that the project is to be 85% complete by March 2026. The eNGO explained that the planned roundabout the size of the Kappara roundabout will swallow up a chunk of the Gzira promenade, while the EIA makes no reference to the impact on residents’ health caused by years of construction trucks passing through Gzira’s residential streets.
On the subject of health, Dr Christopher Rizzo condemned the fact that on the Balzan Dolphin Complex case, the Planning Authority had not called for any health impact studies, which should be fundamental to the adjudication of any major urban project, since congestion and lack of open spaces are having a detrimental effect on residents’ physical and mental health.
Ms Rebecca Busuttil, a Balzan resident, reiterated the effect of such projects on families in the area, condemning the fact that the impact of several projects in one area on families is not being considered. FAA coordinator Astrid Vella added that this is fuelling the brain drain, as Malta’s most promising young people give up on Malta and move abroad. Since the census exposed the fact that Malta’s population growth has far outstripped all other countries in the EU, it is all the more urgent to undertake carrying capacity studies of Malta’s towns and villages, something that had been flatly refused by Minister Aaron Farrugia.
While stressing that he cannot comment on individual cases, the President was critical of the fact that the Planning Authority has based itself purely on the Structure Plan, without at times taking into account the local context of each project. He also lamented the loss of beautiful old buildings in Malta’s towns and villages, and especially their gardens. The President went on to outline what has been done to restore the President’s private garden and San Anton, and what is being planned for the orange orchard. Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar gifted the President a Vitus Agnus Castus, a rare indigenous shrub which also has cultural significance, used as a herbal treatment in the past.