Representatives of various environmental organisations held a press conference outside the Planning Authority to call for urgent and radical changes in the environment and planning sectors. They encouraged the public to attend the national protest Xebbajtuna! Bidla fl-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar ISSA! on Saturday 27 May, to be held in Valletta at 10:30am.

Speaking at the event were Andre Callus from Moviment Graffitti, Ann Bugeja from Friends of the Earth Malta, Professor Alex Torpiano from Din l-Art Ħelwa, Ingram Bondin from the Ramblers Association Malta, and Stanley Portelli from Għawdix.

“We’re fed up. But don’t just take our word for it, as this is what you’ll hear repeated by the average man and woman on the street, from citizens who cannot stand to see their country corrupted any longer,” said Callus. “The buildings that are being constructed, the amount and the manner in which the building permissions are being granted, are obscene.”

“Today we’re going to be explaining why we’re holding this protest and the demands that we put forth so that this ugly situation that we find ourselves faced with can be changed urgently. This is an emergency,” Callus continued.

Friends of the Earth Malta

“We’re tired of the government’s lies, where they publish policies which say one thing, and then either don’t act or do something completely different,” said Bugeja.

“The last bit of land that remains will soon be no more, as these developers only want to expand their empires, and only care about money. Outside Development Zone (ODZ) land must be given the importance that it deserves,” said Bugeja.

“The Environmental Resource Authority’s (ERA) calls for the protection of various species is useless if we’re then destroying their habitats.” Bees and hedgehogs are two such species that are suffering because of developers’ actions, she said.

Din l-Art Ħelwa

“This national protest is an expression of the general exasperation people feel towards the attitudes of supposedly regulatory authorities. Despite people seeing all this with their own eyes, politicians and the Planning Authority still haven't changed their attitudes in favour of the developer,” said Torpiano.

This protest is a message to politicians who so far have only heard from the developer, who want higher and more massive buildings, and want to build on larger strips of land - with the excuse that development is the engine of the country's economy.

“It is the duty of those who lead to find sustainable engines of the economy,” Torpiano said.

Ramblers Association

“Everyone knows that our country's environment is deteriorating day by day. This is not a coincidence. This is happening because the institutions that are supposed to protect the environment in the interest of the community are instead bowing their heads and obeying politicians and the powerful,” said Bondin.

Our country has ended up defenseless against those who are willing to destroy it due to their greed for power and money, he said

We want the Arts Authority to ensure that public assets are used for the benefit of the people, not given as gifts to developers at a discount. We want the Planning Authority to apply its rules correctly so that development respects our streets and countryside, rather than desecrating them recklessly. We want the Appeals Tribunal to stop allowing developers to break everything first, and then decide on the appeal afterwards. We want the Environment Authority to be consistent in its efforts to protect the environment, not to arbitrarily dismiss all objections when big businesses and friends of friends are involved. The same can be said for the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage when it comes to scheduled buildings.

Maria Attard

“To manage change as Malta is experiencing, you need solid governance systems and plans, built on what is acceptable to everyone (and not the few), and that leave no one behind, from the oldest to the youngest. If this does not happen, you will have chaos. And in chaos, abuse reigns,” said Attard.

“We always talk as if man has a sacrosanct right to do whatever he wants on this earth and with nature. I would like to remind those who have forgotten that man is one species among many. And we should show some respect to those who share this world with us, and not simply because we need them to survive.”

“And we can do this if we take seriously how we manage development, what we want Malta to be 20-50 years from now, and how we will get there with plans, institutional infrastructures, including planning (which seems to be forgotten) and good governance,” she concluded.

National protest

The Xebbajtuna! national protest will call for a change in the planning policies that are harming our country, for transparent and independent public authorities that are not controlled by politicians and business, and for a sustainable economic model that seeks the fair and efficient use of resources rather than endless economic growth.

The national protest has been called by eight organisations: Moviment Graffitti, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, BirdLife Malta, Għawdix, Ramblers Association Malta, Nature Trust – FEE Malta and Friends of the Earth Malta. It has already been endorsed by over 70 groups, including students’, social, cultural, heritage and residents’ organisations. The full list of endorsing groups so far can be found on www.xebbajtuna.org.