The impact of the 2006 rationalisation exercise is still being felt today.

Both major political parties speak about the environment being important, about the importance of open spaces. But both parties are guilty of allowing open spaces to be swallowed by development because of the aforementioned exercise. It had been introduced under a Nationalist Party government, but the Labour government has not done anything to try and change it.

Many areas that formed part of that rationalisation exercise have already been built, or have had Planning applications approved on them. It's too late for those areas. But what about the areas which haven't been built up yet, which haven't had applications approved? Prime Minister Robert Abela previously made the argument that changing the rationalisation exercise would "expose the country to enormous damages", wherein anyone with a property on such land would take the government to court for compensation because it would not be developable anymore. It is definitely a point that needs to be taken into consideration. We are not lawyers, and that is a legal point that would need to be debated.

As said, many areas that had been included in the rationalisation scheme have already been built up or have had applications approved on them. But as for those areas which don't even have planning applications approved yet, perhaps the government should calculate the cost of such areas if it would, legally, need to pay. After all, it found nearly €4 million to host a film festival, and found millions to spend on a hospitals deal declared to be fraudulent by the courts.

Preserving green land for future generations is a worthwhile endeavour in a country that is already too built up. If it ends up being doable, then why not do it?

Speaking from the perspective of citizens, Malta has far too little green space left for it to continue being eaten up.

This newsroom on Monday published an article regarding a piece of land in Msida. A Planning Control application was filed, seeking to establish the zoning, building heights and alignment of roads and buildings for the rationalisation site at Ta' Fuq il-Wied, Swatar, Msida. The site is currently undeveloped, but if approved, the application could pave the way for applications for 13 buildings. The Environment and Resources Authority said that given that the site is located entirely within Development Zone, there are no major concerns on this proposal from an environmental point of view. But the local council has objected.

The Msida council argues, among other things related to more technical points, that it "objects to this proposal for reasons that the indicated location is the only area that has remained green, and apart from that, it will be close to where development is underway by Environment Malta related to the afforestation of the area. Therefore, instead of developing more buildings, it would be more ideal to pursue a plan that preserves the environment and takes initiatives for greener development by planting more trees and restoring the rubble walls so that the area will be conserved for the common good of all in the present and, more importantly, for the future."

This last part really hits home. What kind of Malta are we leaving behind for the next generations?