A Missed Opportunity
Press Release: The Planning Bills debacle is a defeat for the public as the government is afraid to take bold steps
The announcement of a general election on the 30th May means that the contentious Planning Reform bills are no longer on Parliament’s standing orders. In a statement, Il-Kollettiv Secretary Wayne Flask expressed his relief at the fact that Bills 143 and 144 will not be pushed through in their present form, but said that the group is disappointed by the government’s lack of appetite for reform in the sector.
“On May Day 2023, the Prime Minister made a very public promise to suspend construction works under appeal. It took his lead consultants two years to deliver on that promise, and when they did, the result were two bills which would have effectively consigned the country to the developers’ cabal. We spent the last few months showing the government how bad its own bills were, to the point where even the authors were unable to justify their reasoning to the Planning Reform Committee.”
“Introducing the suspension of works would have been the first reform in favour of the people after eleven years of total rule by the developers. All they had to do was strip down both bills leaving only one clause in 144, the one introducing the suspension of works.”
“Despite our efforts, backed by 13 resident associations from around Malta, PM Robert Abela has chosen to silently bow down to the wishes of the fragmented construction lobby, despite Michael Stivala’s bid to report the government’s Affordable Housing scheme to the EU Commission. We’re not surprised: residents and NGOs don’t have the kind of hidden cash to spend on financing electoral campaigns.”
The group said it expected any discussion on future planning reforms to include residents at the table. “Bold decisions are needed to offset the damage authorised every week by the PA’s boards and commissions. The suspension of works is just a tiny facet of the widespread need for reform in planning.”
“Moreover, after their actions and behaviour during the Planning Laws saga, we believe that PA CEO Johann Buttigieg and government consultant Robert Musumeci should be removed from public office. Both have been furthering private interests through taxpayer-funded roles, and we’re sure they’ll find plenty of clients in the private sector.”
Buttigieg has twice been found guilty of contempt of court and there are documented instances of his interference in individual planning permits. Musumeci has authored a long list of bad reforms, including numerous PA policies and sub-policies, legal notices introduced by stealth, the 2019 STO regulations and the law establishing the BCA.
Il-Kollettiv and Residenti taz-Zurrieq are organising a press conference in Nigret on Sunday 17th May, in which they are inviting residents from all over Malta to participate in the only non-partisan event of the electoral campaign.
“Despite the realities around us, only residents and NGOs are talking about their future in a country plagued by construction, overdevelopment and traffic. The government and the opposition have long since abandoned their duties and their voters.”
