Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri "continues to refuse to present all correspondence and the full minutes of the Planning Authority's Executive Council regarding the partial review of the North Harbours Local Plan for Malta, specifically concerning the St George's Bay area in St Julian's," the Nationalist Party has said.

"He is doing this despite the fact that, during the meeting of the Standing Committee on Environment, Climate Change and Development Planning held on the 23rd of October, following insistence from Partit Nazzjonalista Members of Parliament, Minister Camilleri was clearly asked, more than once, to provide this information," a PN statement, signed by Stanley Zammit, Shadow Minister for Planning and Lands, and Rebekah Borg, Shadow Minister for the Environment, read.

"During the same meeting, while confirming what had already been revealed by the media - that the process for amending the Local Plan was initiated on his instructions after the Government was presented with a development project - Minister Camilleri also promised to check the legal requirements for publishing the requested documents."

In response to a Parliamentary Question, Minister Camilleri continued to hide behind legalisms to avoid publishing this information, the PN said.

The Nationalist Party "reminds and emphasises that Malta has ratified the Aarhus Convention, which ensures that planning documents related to the environment, land use, and development are accessible to the public. Transparency and accountability are essential in the planning process, especially in urban areas, and are crucial for environmental protection.

With this concealment of information, the Government is not only going against Parliamentary Resolution No. 315, which states that the Minister was to 'provide the necessary information and documents' - a resolution that the Government itself also agreed upon - but is also disregarding an international convention to which Malta is a signatory."

"This is a serious lack of transparency and shows that instead of prioritising environmental protection and quality of life above other interests, Prime Minister Robert Abela and his Cabinet are promoting a development planning process based solely on developers' desires. This is yet more evidence that the 2025 Budget theme 'A Country of Quality' is mere propaganda, and far removed from the daily reality we experience."

The PN said that it will continue to demand full transparency and accountability and will work to ensure that any proposed changes to the Local Plans genuinely protect the environment and the residents' quality of life through actions, not just words.

PL statement

The PL, in response, said that the PN "continues to mislead regarding requested documentation, which was also sought during the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Climate Change, and Planning held on October 23. Such documentation does not fall under Article 32(2) of Chapter 552, but in the interest of transparency and accountability, and as previously clarified in the Parliamentary Committee... the documentation provided to the Planning Authority reflects the instructions for publishing the objectives as set out in the public consultation. It appears that the Opposition is aware of this, as they received a clear parliamentary response to their inquiry. The Leader of the Opposition also knows what Minister Clint Camilleri stated and has not issued any categorical denial. Truly, a confused Opposition."