The Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign kicked off a tour with its first stop in Birżebbuġa Square on Sunday.

"Together with Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa, we set up a stand with information about the planning laws which, if enacted by Parliament, will lead to unprecedented environmental and social destruction. The bills and legal notices presented by the Government seek to dismantle all existing protections in order to grant developers unlimited power," campaigners said.

The controversial planning Bills were tabled in Parliament in Summer and caused an uproar. The government then launched a public consultation on the reforms, which concluded in September.

"With the residents who visited our stand, we had the opportunity to discuss the impact of these alarming laws on Malta in general and on the locality of Birżebbuġa in particular, as well as to receive their comments and suggestions," the campaign said in a statement.

"While the Government has pledged to revise these laws and consult further with NGOs and communities, Ġustizzja għal Artna remains unconvinced that legislation so fundamentally flawed can be fixed. To date, no revised proposals have been presented."

"Thus, the campaign will continue to reiterate its call for the full withdrawal of this so-called 'reform' and for the launch of a genuine consultation process to deliver the real planning reform Malta urgently needs."

The next stop of the Tour Ġustizzja għal Artna will take place in Mellieħa, on Sunday, 7 December.