The government led by Robert Abela is prioritising the legalisation of illegal development over environmental protection and serious planning, the Nationalist Party said Wednesday.

During a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Planning, it became evident how the Government is manipulating Local Plans to justify the urban monstrosities it has created. This is a Government more concerned with facilitating abuse and legalising illegality than with protecting the environment of the Maltese and Gozitans.

The PN said it strongly condemns how the Planning Authority has been reduced to a mere "Permits Authority", with enforcement deliberately weakened and policies introduced to permit the legalisation of illegalities, even in areas where development was previously not allowed.

In cases such as that of the Gorgun Tower in Xewkija, Gozo, the Government should seek practical solutions without being selective, and without incentivising or encouraging illegalities.

The way the government is proposing changes to several Local Plans to allow further development on land Outside the Development Zone (ODZ), including the construction of pools, decking, and toilets in rural areas, is unacceptable. It is farcical for the Authority to claim this is being done "to meet community needs", especially when the Prime Minister has repeatedly pledged to protect ODZ land.

The Courts have already confirmed that several policies introduced by this government, such as the 2014 Rural Policy and Design Guidance, the Development Control Design Policy, Guidance and Standards (DC15), and Annex 2 of 2015, have created confusion in the planning system. Instead of rectifying these policies, the Government is altering Local Plans to further enable development on ODZ land.

The PN said it supports the proposed amendment to the Local Plan for Ta' Passi in Għajnsielem, Gozo - a proposal aimed at creating a recreational space with restrictions on development. This is a clear example of how planning should be carried out with the community's interest in mind.

The PN also insists that any changes to Local Plans must be made holistically and in an integrated manner, based on environmental, social, and economic studies. A new Nationalist Government will carry out a complete reform of the planning system, establishing a truly independent Planning Authority that places the common good above all else.

The PN said it believes that real change only happens by correcting the mistakes of the past, not by building upon them.