Konsultazzjoni pubblika farsa

Bdiet il-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar il-permess operazzjonali tal-power station f’Delimara. Dan il-permess huwa magħruf bħala IPPC permit. Dan għax ikun ipproċessat skond dak li tistabilixxi d-Direttiva tal-Unjoni Ewropeja imsejħa Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC).

Bħala parti minn dan il-proċess, ħarġu għall-informazzjoni ta’ kulħadd, 293 rapport ta’ qisien li jvarjaw. Uħud qosra u oħajn donnhom ma jispiċċaw qatt għax fihom mijiet ta’ paġni. Uħud b’linġwaġġ li jinftiehem malajr u oħrajn li trid iddum tomgħod biex tifhem.

Il-konsultazzjoni pubblika oriġinalment kienet intenzjonata li ddum 30 ġurnata, il-minimu meħtieġ skond il-liġi. Wara diversi protesti, dan il-perjodu żdied għal 40 ġurnata. Dan xorta m’huwiex biżżejjed, għax is-sens komun jgħidlek li l-perjodu ta’ konsultazzjoni għandu jkun twil skont kemm hemm informazzjoni xi tkun ikkunsidrata.

Meta t-tul ta’ żmien għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika ma jkunx proporzjonat mal-kwantità ta’ informazzjoni li teħtieġ illi tkun eżaminata, ma nistgħux ngħidu li din il-konsultazzjoni tkun qed issir bis-serjetà. Tkun qed issir għax bil-fors biex tonora l-kelma tal-liġi. Tkun konsultazzjoni taparsi.

Din hi s-sitwazzjoni li qed niffaċċjaw fil-każ tal-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar l-impjant tal-power station ta’ Delimara. Ir-rapporti ppubblikati, fil-parti l-kbira tagħhom jeħtieġu li jkunu eżaminati bir-reqqa biex inkunu nistgħu nifhmu dak li qiegħed ikun propost fihom. Fil-parti l-kbira tal-każi, l-Awtorità tal-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi ilha x-xhur fil-pussess ta’ dawn ir-rapporti, inkluż uħud li forsi dehrilha li kellha tordna li jsirulhom xi tibdil jew inkella li kellhom jinkludu spjegazzjonijiet addizzjonali. L-awtorità taf kemm jirrikjedu żmien biex ikunu eżaminati dawn ir-rapporti, għax l-uffiċjali tagħha ilhom ix-xhur jeżaminawhom!

Hemm eċċezzjoni waħda għal dan kollu. Ir-rapport intitolat External Emergency Plan imħejji mid-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Ċivili għandu parti minnu nieqsa. Fil-paġna 21 ta’ dan ir-rapport hemm it-titlu tas-sezzjoni : Section B Operational. Imbagħad fil-paġna immedjatament warajha hemm nota li tinfurmana illi l-kumplament tas-sezzjoni hi nieqsa minħabba illi kieku din l-informazzjoni kellha tkun ippubblikata, din il-pubblikazzjoni tkun ta’ theddida għas-siġurtà nazzjonali.

Din hi farsa. Hi nuqqas kbir ta’ serjetà. L-ewwel jimlewna bir-rapporti u ma jagħtuniex ħin biżżejjed biex naqrawhom, biex  mbagħad dwar dan ir-rapport jiċċensuraw ukoll il-kontenut.

Għalfejn poġġew dan ir-rapport għad-diskussjoni jekk il-parti l-iktar essenzjali għad-diskussjoni tneħħiet? F’soċjetà demokratika dan m’huwiex aċċettabbli. Bla ebda dubju hemm mod kif ikun possibli li tingħata informazzjoni biżżejjed u tkun tista’ issir konsultazzjoni pubblika bis-serjetà mingħajr ma issir ħsara lis-sigurtà nazzjonali.

Irridu naraw kif ser jiżviluppaw l-affarijiet għax huwa  meħtieġ serjetà  ħafna iktar minn hekk jekk irridu li l-konsultazzjoni pubblika ma tkunx farsa.

Ippubblikat fuq l-Illum : 30 t’Ottubru 2016

A farce in the making

 

Public consultation on the Delimara operational permit has commenced. This permit has to be issued in terms of the provisions of the EU Directive  on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC).

Feeding this public consultation exercise, last week the Environment and Resources Authority released 293 reports detailing information on different aspects of the Delimara power station. These reports are available on the authority’s website as well as at the offices of Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa local councils. They run into thousands of pages – varying from those which are very short to others which are substantial in length.

Originally, the public consultation exercise was planned to last 30 days – the minimum time  established by law. After a number of protests, this was increased to 40 days, which is still too short,  given the substantial amount of information that must be digested and analysed. Common sense should have dictated a much longer consultation period as the lack of sufficient time to examine the information released will bring into question the validity of the whole exercise.

The  reports require considerable time to be examined in order that their contents are understood in their proper perspective. Most of these reports were submitted to the Environment and Resources Authority many months ago and in the intervening period have been examined by officials of the Authority, who, in a number of cases, requested amendments or additions. These changes were identified by the Authority’s officers as a result of their examination of the said reports over a number of months.

It stands to reason that the Environment and Resources Authority is, on the basis of its own work,  fully aware that the real time required for  this public consultation would be in the region of four months and that anything less is insufficient.

There is, however, one exception. The report entitled “External Emergency Plan” drawn up by the Civil Protection Department, has been censored. A whole section has been removed and, as such, is not being subjected to the current public consultation exercise. Page 21 of the report contains the tile of the section : Section B Operational. On the following page we then have a note which informs us that “Information in the Operational Section (Section B) of this document is being withheld from publication on grounds on national security”.

This is a farce. The most important part of the document that requires dissemination and feedback has been withheld. This report should have been placed in the public domain in its entirety, as it is essential for those members of the public who are interested (or preoccupied) on the issue as they live too close for comfort to the Delimara power station. They  need the whole report in order to be informed and thus be in a position to give their reactions. Familiarity on the part of Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa residents with the Operational Section of the External Emergency Plan would eventually be put into use in the civil protection drills and simulation exercises which have to be organised by the Civil Protection Department on a regular basis at both Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa.

The Civil Protection Department leadership team should realise, even at this stage, that the local population must own the operational plans. These plans will not work if the local population is not aware of at least the basic contents of these plans.

The public consultation process is a basic and essential component of the workings of a democratic society. Tampering with the required information, or unnecessarily restricting the consultation period, will transform it into a farce.

It is for these reasons that the Delimara power station consultation process is a farce in the making!

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 30 October 2016

Marlene u l-maduma

 

Rajt l-intervista ippubblikata illum ma Marlene Farrugia fuq l-Independent online.

Sfortunatament, Marlene tparla wisq u ħafna drabi tparla qabel ma tkun ħasbet biżżejjed. Dan iservi biex tkisser l-intenzjonijiet tajba kollha li jkun hemm, tagħha u ta’ dawk kollha madwarha. Għax tispiċċa tikkomettihom mingħajr ma jkunu għadhom fetħu ħalqhom.

Għandha kull dritt li tiddeċiedi li tikkontesta l-elezzjoni taħt l-umbrella tal-PN – jew kif ġiet rappurtata li “ma teskludix” li tikkontesta l-elezzjoni taħt il-maduma. Imma jkun ħafna interessanti kieku jkun magħruf jekk din hiex deċiżjoni tagħha inkella jekk hiex deċiżjoni tal-partit “tagħha”. 

Fil-passat riċenti Marlene kienet saħqet (ġustament) li l-ewwel kien meħtieġ li jkunu stabiliti l-parametri programmatiċi u kien biss wara dan il-pass li seta  jkun ikkunsidrat l-livell ta’ kooperazzjoni possibli. L-għaġġla li biha qed ikunu ikkomunikati d-deċiżjonijiet jindikaw li l-politika ewlenija tal-Partit Demokratiku hi l-impulsivitá. Din hi ħasra għax fil-bidu kien hemm il-potenzjal.

L-impulsivitá tfisser li l-muskoli tal-ħalq jgħaġġlu iktar mill-moħħ. It-tlablib isir bla ma jkun hemm il-ħsieb neċessarju. Dan inevitabilment iwassal għal żbalji tattiċi madornali li l-impatti tagħhom mhux la kemm tqum minnhom. 

L-ajruplan li waqa’ dalgħodu, x’kien qed jagħmel hawn?

 

Dal-għodu kulħadd inħasad kif xterdet l-aħbar li waqa’ ajruplan u iktar tard sirna nafu li l-ħamsa min-nies fuqu mietu kollha.

Qed jingħad li qabel ma waqa’ l-ajruplan ma kien hemm l-ebda splużjoni. Dan ifisser li l-ajruplan waqa’ għal xi raġuni oħra, li s’issa m’hiex magħrufa.

It-Times online tistaqsi: Dan l-ajruplan x’kien qed jagħmel hawn?  Il-mistoqsija teħtieġ tweġiba għax matul il-ġurnata kien hawn diversi verżjonijiet li jippruvaw jispjegaw għaliex.

Jidher li l-ajruplan, bla marki, li waqa’ dalgħodu huwa ta’ kumpanija li ilha involuta f’materji ta’ difiża u sigurta.

It-Times tikkwota lil Le Monde dwar li tlieta mill-persuni fuq l-ajruplan kienu uffiċjali tad-DGSE, is-servizz ta’ spjunaġġ ta’ Franza (intelligence service).

Hawn jibdew il-mistoqsijiet il-kbar: Franza qed tagħmel użu minn Malta bħala bażi għall-ispjunaġġ? Kemm ilhom sejrin biha?

Forsi għalhekk kien skomdu Karmenu Abela (Ministru tal-Intern) meta ipprova jwieġeb lil ġurnalisti!

Il-mistoqsija l-kbira hi: l-Gvern (u s-servizzi tas-sigurta ta’ Malta) kien jaf x’inhu għaddej? 

Il-flyovers ma jsolvu xejn

 

 

Il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku f’pajjiżna sejra mill-ħażin għall-agħar.

It-twessiegħ tat-toroq, il-ftuħ ta’ toroq ġodda u l-kostruzzjoni ta’ flyovers ma huma ser isolvu xejn. Għax dawn kullma jagħmlu hu l-wisa’ għal iktar karozzi u jinkoraġixxu ż-żieda ta’ iktar karozzi fit-toroq tagħna għax joħolqulhom l-ispazju. B’hekk il-problema tkompli tikber. Anzi, inkabbruha aħna stess bl-infieq, bla ħsieb, fl-infrastruttura tat-toroq.

Inizjattivi li jħajru użu ikbar tat-trasport pubbliku huma tajba. Kull inċentiv li jwassal għal użu iktar frekwenti tat-trasport pubbliku hu pass il-quddiem. Imma jinħtieġ ukoll iktar investiment fi transport alternattiv kif ukoll li titjieb l-infrastruttura għalih. L-infrastruttura li tiffaċilita l-użu tar-rota, per eżempju, ftit li xejn teżisti. Fuq kollox hawn preġudizzju kbir kontra l-użu tar-rota u kontra ċ-ċiklisti.

Fuq kollox is-settur pubbliku jeħtieġ li jagħti l-eżempju ħalli jħajjar iktar mill-impjegati tiegħu jagħmlu użu mir-rota biex imorru għax-xogħol. Imma biex dan ikun jista’ isir jeħtieġ li jkunu ipprovduti showers fuq il-post tax-xogħol li minnhom hemm ftit li xejn. Il-Gvern jista’ jekk irid jieħu l-inizjattiva u jagħti l-eżempju. U inizjattiva ta’ din ix-xorta ftit tiswa’ flus.

Il-parti l-kbira tad-distanzi bejn post u ieħor f’pajjiżna huma żgħar. Dan suppost jagħmilha iktar faċli biex iktar persuni jinqatgħu mid-dipendenza fuq il-karozza privata. Għalhekk forsi jista’ jkun iktar faċli li naslu lejn soluzzjoni jekk għall-bidu niffukaw il-ħidma tagħna fuq livell lokali bil-ħsieb li innaqqsu sostanzjalment l-użu tal-karozzi privati f’distanzi żgħar fil-lokalitajiet infushom kif ukoll bejn il-lokalitajiet ġirien. F’uħud mill-irħula, per eżempju spiss niltaqgħu ma bdiewa anżjani li jiċċaqalqu min-naħa għall-oħra tar-raħal bir-rota. Eżempju li jista’ jinfirex mat-tfal tal-iskola u bil-mod il-mod mal-bqija tal-komunitá. Minn livell lokali imbagħad nistgħu nfirxu l-esperjenza għal-lokalitajiet qrib.

Għax anke fil-qasam tat-trasport il-problemi nazzjonali jistgħu jissolvew fl-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna. Il-problemi ambjentali ikkawżati mill-konġestjoni tat-traffiku nistgħu nsolvuhom b’dan il-mod. Is-soluzzjonijiet imbaghad jinfirxu għall-bqija tal-pajjiż. Dan li jfissru l-kliem think global, act local.

Għax il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku ma nsolvuhiex bil-flyovers iżda billi illum irawmu l-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ għada. B’hekk nistgħu naslu. Ovvjament jekk irridu naslu.

ippubblikat fuq l-Illum, nhar it-23 t’Ottubru 2016

Transport and the budget

 

The Finance Minister  is apparently delighted that, during the past year, over 40 million passengers made use of public transport. While this represents a seven per cent increase on the previous year, it  could have been much more had the government not wasted millions of euros in the improvement of the road network. This money should have instead been channelled towards initiatives encouraging sustainable transport.

When the road network is improved, traffic congestion eases temporarily and, as a result, more cars take to the roads. This in turn leads to more traffic congestion – a direct result of government investment. Transport policy-makers have yet to realise that rather than improve the road network, they should increase exponentially initiatives to reduce the number of cars on our roads. It is in this area that major investment is required.

The government has decided to make a slow start in this area by announcing two initiatives to encourage group transport in relation to working places. The private sector is being encouraged to provide this through tax credits, whilst government entities employing more than 50 people have been instructed to prepare a sustainable transport plan. This is a belated slow start to addressing traffic congestion, which is related to people going to work using their own transport. The government has opted to use the carrot rather than the stick. Most probably, in the long term there is both the room and the need to use both.

A token incentive of free public transport for five thousand 18-year-olds who will reach that age in 2017 will do no harm. It could, however, have been presented in a more innovative manner – linking a longer period of free public transport with bicycle incentives as well as an undertaking from recipients not to seek a driving licence for at least 10 years. Now that would be an investment which would reduce cars from the road in the long term!

All initiatives that seek to encourage the use of public transport are worth a try, as they are a step in the right direction. It is, however, necessary that more investment in alternative and sustainable means of transport is forthcoming, primarily in setting up the required basic infrastructure. For example, the infrastructure required to encourage bicycle use is practically non-existent. This needs to be addressed adequately. A first step would be the sustainable transport plans which the Finance Minister is expecting from government entities during 2017. I would expect that, in 12 months time, these plans will start being implemented because government entities should be the first to set an example.

Most of our localities are a stone’s throw away from each other and this should make it much easier to encourage a reduction in dependence on the privately-owned car. Initiatives can also be taken on a local level and between neighbouring localities. In such instances, it can be much easier to encourage the use of bicycles. This would require streets where access to cars is prohibited, such access being reserved for bicycle users. In such instances, school  children, under supervision,  should be encouraged to go to school on bicycles, in bicycle-friendly streets.

Initiatives at a local level add up over time and slowly contribute to the formation of a bicycle-friendly society.  Even in matters of transport, national problems can be resolved at the town and village level, eventually leading to a solution at a national level. This is a practical way of applying the environmental maxim “think global, act local”.

The problem of traffic congestion will not be resolved by the construction of a new generation of flyovers but by equipping our young generations to challenge the status quo.

It can be done.

published in the Malta Independent on Sunday 23 October 2016

Konsultazzjoni ħierġa minn widnejna?

 

Bħalissa qed jikkonsultawna spiss. Jekk jagħtux kaz ta’ dak li ngħidu, imma, dik ħaġa oħra.

Kultant naħseb ukoll li ma jagħmilx ġid li numru ta’ affarijiet importanti issir id-diskussjoni pubblika dwarhom fl-istess ħin.

Bħalissa d-diskussjoni pubblika hi iffukata fuq ta’ l-inqas tlett affarijiet importanti: fuq il-budget, fuq il-Masterplan ta’ Paceville u fuq l-impjant tal-gass fil-power station ta’ Delimara.

Iż-żmien għal dawn il-konsultazzjoniet pubbliċi hu limitat.

Il-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar Paceville hi ikkumplikata minħabba it-tip ta’ proposti li ġew ippreżentati. Ir-rapport trid taqrah numru ta’ drabi biex tibda tifhmu mhux biss għax ikkumplikat minnu innifsu imma ukoll għax min kitbu qagħad jilgħab bil-kliem. Bil-konsegwenza li hemm numru ta’ proposti kważi moħbijin.

Min-naħa l-oħra l-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar l-impjant tal-gass tirrikjedi eżami ta’ dokumentazzjoni voluminuza imqassma f’madwar 300 file elettroniku. Il-konsultazzjoni pubblika ser iddum 4 ġimgħat: iktar kien jagħmel sens kieku kella iddum 4 xhur minħabba li biex issir sewwa tirrikjedi ħafna xogħol.

Meta wieħed iqis li ħafna drabi jkunu l-istess nies li jinvolvu ruħhom f’din il-konsultazzjoni pubblika malajr nifhmu id-diffikultajiet li jkollna għax il-ħin hu limitat għal kulħadd.

Ir-riskji tat-tanker tal-gass

Ilna iktar minn tliet snin nargumentaw fuq il-ħażna tal-gass għall-power station ġdida li kienet issue ċentrali fl-aħħar elezzjoni ġenerali.

Qabel l-elezzjoni l-ħażna kienet proposta li issir fuq l-art. Wara l-elezzjoni nbidlu l-pjani u saret il-proposta għall-ħażna fuq il-baħar.

Tajjeb li niftakru li fi tmiem is-snin 90 kien hemm diskussjonijiet dettaljati mat-Taljani tal-AGIP dwar il-kostruzzjoni ta’ pipeline tal-gass bejn Gela fi Sqallija u Marsaxlokk. Il-ftehim ma twettaqx għax kieku ilna 20 sena bil-gass u t-tanker ma kienx ikun hemm bżonnu.

Il-Gvern ħabbar xi xhur ilu li t-tanker tal-gass sorġut fil-Port ta’ Marsaxlokk ser ikun qiegħed hemm temporanjament sakemm ikunu iffinalizzati l-proċeduri kollha neċessarji biex isir il-pipeline tal-gass.

Meta kien hemm id-diskussjoni dwar il-power station il-ġdida quddiem il-Bord tal-MEPA xi sentejn ilu konna iddiskutejna f’ċerta dettall id-diffikultajiet li konna qed nantiċipaw dwar dan it-tanker tal-gass. Dawn essenzjalment kienu tnejn. L-ewwel l-impatt tal-maltemp fuq it-tanker innifsu kif ukoll fuq il-vapuri  fil-viċinanzi, prinċipalment dawk fil-Port  Ħieles imma ukoll l-impatt fuq is-sajjieda. It-tieni dwar il-miżuri ta’ sigurtá biex ikunu evitati inċidenti u f’kaz li dawn xorta jseħħu jkunu minimizzati l-konsegwenzi.

Fil-ġranet li ġejjin ser ikunu ippubblikati r-rapporti li saru u terġa tiftaħ beraħ id-diskussjoni.

Naħseb li kulħadd jieħu pjaċir kieku dawn il-problemi jissolvew.

L-istandards ta’ sigurtá fl-industrija tal-gass ifissru li dwar issues ta’ sigurtá u periklu, r-riskju possibilment ikun minimizzat kif kienu rrappurtaw l-esperti George Papadakis u Roberto Vaccari, kwazi tlett snin ilu. Hemm ukoll il-materja tas-sigurtá marittima li għad irridu naraw x’miżuri effettivi ser jittieħdu. Għax s’issa ftit huwa magħruf sakemm naraw ir-rapporti u naqrawhom sew.

Ir-riskji ħadd ma hu ser jeliminhom. Bla dubju hemm kull interess li dawn jonqsu l-iktar possibli. Imma kemm fil-fatt jonqsu  għad irridu naraw. Kif wara kollox irridu naraw min ser iħallas il-prezz. U l-prezz, tajjeb li niftakru, ma jitħallasx biss bl-euro.

ippubblikat fuq iNews : 17 t’Ottubru 2016

Il-kosta tagħna lkoll?

Il-Masterplan għal Paceville huwa mifrux fuq medda kbira ta’ art. Għax Paceville tmiss ma’ Pembroke, mas-Swieqi u anke ma’ San Ġiljan. Imma għandha ukoll biċċa kosta twila ġmielha, li skond minn fejn tibda tkejjilha tista’ ġġebbed bejn tlieta u erbgħa kilometri.

Il-pjan jgħidilna li ser ikun possibli li tippassiġġa mal-kosta kollha.  Imma r-realtà hi li kosta kollha ta’ Paceville hi mimlija konċessjonijiet  li l-Gvern tul is-snin ta lill-privat għan-negozju, prinċipalment negozju konness mal-baħar jew mal-lukandi.

Waqt il-laqgħa ta’ nhar l-Erbgħa tal-Kumitat Parlamentari tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar, id-Dipartiment tal-Propjetà tal-Gvern ippreżenta pjanta li turi il-propjeta kollha li għandu l-Gvern f’Paceville, biċċa waħda tmiss ma l-oħra. F’xi każi l-pjanta turi bejn 4 metri u 5 metri mill-kosta l-ġewwa li huma riżervati għall-aċċess tal-pubbliku, għalkemm ħafna drabi m’huwiex ċar kif dawn il-passaġġi riżervati għalina lkoll tista’ tasal għalihom.

F’Mejju li għadda b’vot unanimu l-Parlament approva emendi għall Kodiċi Civili li permezz tagħhom ġie ċċarat li l-kosta hi propjetà pubblika. Jiġifieri din hi tagħna lkoll. Mill-inqas sa 15-il metru l-ġewwa minn fejn iħabbat il-baħar. Imma fejn il-mewġ jibqa’ dieħel iktar il-ġewwa, il-15-il metru jiżdiedu ukoll, skond is-saħħa tal-baħar.

Is-serjetà kienet titlob li billi l-ewwel abbozz tal-Master Plan ta’ Paceville ġie ippubblikat għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika bosta ġimgħat wara li l-Parlament esprima ruħu b’mod tant ċar, dan kellu jagħti kaz b’serjeta kbira ta’ dak li ddeċieda l-Parlament.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-Parlament dwar il-kosta u l-art ta’ mal-plajja tfisser ħafna iktar minn sempliċi passaġġ fejn jgħaddu n-nies. Imma sfortunatament, il-konsulenti li fasslu l-Master Plan ma fehmu xejn minn dan u minflok ma fittxew kif ser jgħaddu lura lin-nies it-tgawdija ta’ partijiet ikbar mill-kosta qed jipproponulna li jkompli r-renju tal-konkos u l-azzar bi blokki għoljin tletin sular li jistgħu jinbnew viċin tal-kosta.

Issa jew hemm min ma jafx x’inhu jagħmel inkella qed jippruvaw jgħaddu lil kulħadd biż-żmien. Għax jekk il-Parlament qed jaqbel magħna u qiegħed jgħidilna li l-kosta hi tagħna lkoll, kif jiġu dawn il-konsulenti tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar jgħidulna li din ser jibqgħu jgawdu minnha l-ftit, biex fiha tibqa’ issir l-adorazzjoni tat-torrijiet?

pubblikat f’Illum : 16 t’Ottubru 2016

Claiming back our coast

 

The  Paceville Master Plan is rightfully subtitled : Malta’s prime coastal location.  However, it considers the coast as a money-spinner and completely ignores Parliament’s decision earlier this year to codify the importance of the coastal area through its inclusion in legislation regulating the public domain.

The Paceville Master Plan issued for public consultation on 26 September was the first opportunity for the Planning Authority, on behalf of the government – which instructs it on policy initiatives – to flesh out the bones of the declarations made in the public domain legislation, approved by Parliament in May. That it did not do so casts considerable doubt as to whether the unanimous approval by Parliament of the public domain legislation is another political gimmick.

The Paceville Master Plan covers a large tract of land bordering Pembroke to the north, Swieqi to the west, St Julian’s to the South and coastal waters to the east.  The Paceville coastline is extensive: it adds up to anything between three and four kilometres, depending on the manner of measurement.

We have been told that the Paceville coastline will be accessible through a passageway that will be created along the coast. As a matter of fact, most of the Paceville coastline is already dotted with commercial development on land which is either public property or else is subject to servitudes in favour of the state. During last Wednesday’s sitting of Parliament’s Environment and Development Planning Committee, representatives of the Government Property Department presented a drawing indicating all this property along the Paceville coastline. In a number of instances, the drawing submitted indicated passageways of a width varying between four and five metres along the coast which are obviously intended for public access, even though it is not always clear how one would be able to find their points of entry and exit.

Parliament’s approval of amendments to the Civil Code approved in May lays robust legal foundations for the protection of the coast. The government has been entrusted with protect the coast on behalf of future generations, hence it belongs to all of us, in trust, on behalf of those future generations.  The coastal perimeter extends to a minimum of 15 metres from the shoreline. To this, the newly-approved legislation adds the foreshore, which extends as far as the reach of the largest wave – a reach that can be substantial in those parts of the coastline that are exposed to the open sea.

Large sections of the Paceville coastline are developed, but there are still small pockets which are either not developed or else contain development that is not intensive. A proactive Master Plan would have identified this as an opportunity for plotting the way forward in implementing a programme for the protection of the Paceville coast.  Unfortunately, it seems that the consultants to the Planning Authority were not briefed on the matter and as a consequence there is a real danger that this opportunity will be lost.

After the current public consultation is concluded, the Planning Authority will have to examine the comments made and consider the extent to which such comments can and should be taken into consideration in the second draft of the Master Plan.

The Authority should take on board the public domain legislation in respect of the coast and plan for its implementation when it revises the first draft of Paceville Master Plan.  In the short term, this should be done in relation to those areas which are still undeveloped or underdeveloped. I would also expect the Planning Authority to plan for the longer timeframe in respect of those sections of the coastline which are already intensively developed.

This leaves one other basic issue: land reclamation. I feel that, on a policy level, Labour’s land reclamation policy is the marine equivalent of the Nationalist’s widely criticised 2006 rationalisation exercise through which the boundaries of development were irresponsibly extended.  Labour will be extending the limits to development outwards towards the sea whilst the Nationalist-led government extended the said limits towards the countryside.

The proposed Master Plan for Paceville recommends land reclamation off the Dragonara/Portomaso coastline. This is an ill-thought proposal as the area identified for land reclamation will be an extension of possibly the most intensively developed part of the Paceville coast. This proposal should undoubtedly be revisited as commonsense suggests that rather than increasing development in the area, this should, in the long term, be curtailed.

The proposed Paceville Master Plan should be utilised as a planning tool for adequate coastal management. It can, at this point in time, also be the optimum vehicle for translating the public domain legislation into practical policies through which we can start the process of reclaiming the coast for future generations.

This is an opportunity which should not be missed.

published in The Malta Independent : 16 October 2016