Sandro favur l-ambjent

Hekk qalilna l-bieraħ f’kumment li ta lis-Sunday Times dwar l-applikazzjoni tal-Lidl għal supermarket ieħor, din id-darba mal-bypass ta’ B’Kara.

Ovvjament emmen jekk trid.

Għax issa hi moda li kulħadd jitkellem favur l-ambjent u l-iżvilupp sostenibbli.  Imma eżattament dwar x’jifhmu b’dan kollu, dik storja oħra.

Għax, fi kliem li jifhmu kulħadd, l-iżvilupp ikun sostenibbli meta jħares fit-tul. L-iżvilupp ikun sostenibbli meta jassigura li d-deċiżjonijiet li nieħdu illum ma jorbtux mażra m’għonq il-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ għada. Għax huwa neċessarju li anke l-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ għada jkunu jistgħu jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet li jkunu meħtieġa għalihom.

Fi ftit kliem l-iżvilupp ikun sostenibbli meta id-deċiżjonijiet tal-lum iżommu għada ukoll quddiem għajnejhom.

Fid-dawl ta’ dan nistgħu ngħidu bla tlaqlieq li l-politika tal-iżvilupp tal-art f’Malta hi kollox minbarra sostenibbli. Din mhiex qed ngħidha  illum, ilha ngħidha is-snin. Għax fis-sustanza m’hemmx differenza dwar dan bejn il-partiti politiċi li huma preżentement rappreżentati fil-Parlament.

Għax mhux Sandro biss hu favur l-ambjent. Anke Joseph u Simon jgħidu dan.

Ovvjament emmen jekk trid!

_________________

ara ukoll fuq dan il-blog il-kitbiet dwar l-iżvilupp sostenibbli li ġew ippubblikati fl-2015:

22 ta’ Frar 2015 : Harvesting Rainwater.

8 ta’ Marzu 2015 : The politics of Sustainable Development.

7 ta’ Ġunju 2015 : Addressing the environmental deficit.

23 ta’ Lulju 2015 : Nature provides solution.

9 t’Awwissu 2015 : Sustainable Development Goals: beyond rhetoric.

 

Il-bluff tal-PN dwar l-ambjent

Il-PN qed jipprova jiġbor ġieħu. Qed jitkellem u jipprova jagħti l-impressjoni li l-għandu l-ambjent għal qalbu.

Qed ixerred id-dmugħ tal-kukkudrilli dwar l-ODZ. Il-PN ma jaqbilx mal-bini barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp (fl-ODZ) tgħidilna l-kelliema tal-PN dwar l-ambjent Marthese Portelli bi kważi d-dmugħ f’għajnejha.

Sadanittant imma l-PN jibqa l-partit li fiż-żmien li għamel fil-Gvern għamilha possibli biex isir bosta bini barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp.

Fl-artiklu tal-bieraħ fuq dan il-blog semmejt iż-żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art ODZ li saru tajbin għal bini bil-barka tal-PN fil-Gvern.

Imma hemm bosta iktar eżempji.

Tiftakru meta twaqqgħet il-Lukanda Solemar fil-Marfa u l-binja li telgħet flokha kienet ferm ikbar milli kien indikat fil-permess? Dakinnhar l-iżviluppatur kien bena bla permess fuq art pubblika, ukoll barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp. Il-Gvern immexxi mill-PN (direttament jew permezz tal-MEPA) flok ma applika l-liġi u waqqa’ l-bini bla permess, sab “soluzzjoni” billi wara ħruġ ta’ “sejħa għall-offerti” irranġa kollox. Anke dakinnhar  l-arroganza rebħet billi l-Gvern baxxa rasu quddiem min ħataf l-art u abbuża. Dakinnhar ukoll art ODZ inbniet u l-Gvern immexxi mill-PN ma tniffisx ħlief biex jikkoopera ma min seraq l-art pubblika.

Smajtu f’dawn il-ġranet dwar il-bini tad-diversi friegħi tal-Lidl, b’mod partikolari dawk ta’ Ħal-Safi u Ħal-Luqa li t-tnejn inbnew f’żoni ODZ ukoll fi żmien Gvern immexxi mill-PN. Fl-2008 Alternattiva Demokratika kienet semmgħet leħinha dwar il-każ. Ara hawn dak li ktibt dakinnhar.

Nista’ nibqa’ sejjer, u ma nispiċċa qatt.

Dawn huma kollha dnubiet ambjentali li ma nħafrux u l-anqas ma ntesew bħala riżultat tal-aħħar elezzjoni ġenerali. Għax għadna nbatu l-konsegwenzi bħala pajjiż. Ser nibqgħu nbatu l-konsegwenzi, u l-PN li kien il-kawża ta’ dan kollu frisk bħal ħassa, jidhirlu li l-Passat għadda u mar.

Mhux jien, jgħid Simon Busuttil. Mhux jien tgħid Marthese Portelli.

Imma sadanittant lil dak li kien responsabbli biex idderiġa din il-ħerba, lil George Pullicino, ħbewħ u issa tawħ l-inkarigu ta’ kelliemi tal-Opposizzjoni għal Kindergarten.

Il-passat ambjentali tal-PN ma nistgħux ninsewh. Għax mhux biss ħarbat il-preżent iżda għamel il-futur ta’ dan il-pajjiż iktar diffiċli.

Meta tqis dan kollu, d-dmugħ tal-kukkudrilli tal-PN dwar l-ambjent hu kollu bluff. Il-passat tagħhom hu mera tal-futur. Kważi ħamsa u għoxrin sena huma iktar minn biżżejjed biex juruna dak li fil-fatt jemmnu.

Il-Labour huma agħar minn hekk, kif qed naraw u ilna naraw ġimgħa wara l-oħra minn Marzu 2013 sal-lum.

Fi ftit kliem, m’hemmx x’tagħżel bejniethom!

Il-MEPA u l-froġa tal-Mistra Village

Il-Kummissarju tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar David Pace f’rapport li ġie ippubblikat il-bierah it-Tnejn 2 ta’ Diċembru 2013 fi ftit kliem jgħid li l-permessi għall-iżvilupp mill-ġdid tal-Mistra Village huma froġa oħra tal-MEPA. Dan jagħmlu wara li mexxa investigazzjoni fuq talba ta’ Din l-Art Ħelwa.

Il-frejjeġ fil-MEPA li kienu jsiru taħt Lawrence Gonzi, George Pullicino u Mario Demarco għadhom qed isiru taħt Joseph Muscat u Michael Farrugia.

Hu ġustifikat, jgħidilna l-Kummissarju tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar, li l-permessi għall-iżvilupp tal-Mistra Village jkunu irtirati.

Ir-rapport li tistgħu taqrawh fuq is-sit elettroniku ta’ Din l-Art Ħelwa jagħti raġunijiet dettaljati biex jispjega għaliex il-Kummissarju David Pace wasal għal din il-konklużjoni. Ir-rapport jispjega xi tħalla barra fil-konsiderazzjonijiet li għamel id-Direttorat tal-Ippjanar u jgħid li l-Bord tal-MEPA kien iggwidat ħażin mill-Major Projects Unit tal-istess MEPA. Il-Bord tal-MEPA ngħata informazzjoni nieqsa u informazzjoni żbaljata.

F’pajjiż ċivilizzat il-Bord tal-MEPA kien jirreżenja en bloc wara deċiżjoni bħal din.

Darba waħda hekk kien sar meta l-Perit Joseph Falzon kien ħareġ rapport dwar il-permess abbużiv tal-LIDL ta’ Ħal-Safi fuq talba għal investigazzjoni li dakinnhar kienet saret minn Alternattiva Demokratika . Dakinnhar 6 minn 7 membri tal-Kummissjoni għall-Kontroll ta’ l-Iżvilupp li approvat il-permess kienu irriżenjaw lejlet l-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-2008.

Ma nafx kemm il-wieħed jew waħda mill-membri tal-Bord tal-MEPA għandhom il-kuraġġ li jammettu li għamlu żball u li għandhom iħallsu tiegħu billi jirreżenjaw.

Nistennew u naraw.

In-nagħġa ta’ Montekristo

Mela ċ-Ċaqnu jrid jagħti l-impressjoni li qed jimmansa. Mhux apposta qal. Ma riedx joħloq diffikulta.

Tridx tmur!

Dak li ilu jisfida ma jridx joħloq inkonvenjent. Ma kellu l-ebda intenzjoni li l-affari tiskala.

Dak li dejjem sfida lill-awrtoritajiet qed jgħid li jrid jikkoopera mal-awtoritajiet. Fir-realta’ l-unika kooperazzjoni mal-awtoritajiet skond id-dizzjunarju tan-nagħġa ta’ Montekristo hi dik li twassal biex jibni fuq art tal-Gvern bħalma għamel il-Marfa fil-każ tal-Lukanda Solemar u flok ma jwaqqulu jċedulu.

Il-kooperazzjoni mal-awtoritajiet tfisser li jinħarġu permessi bħalma ħarġu għall-bini ta’ supermarkets li illum qed jintużaw mil-Lidl f’Ħal-Luqa u Ħal-Kirkop. Tal-ewwel parzjalment fil-flight path tal-uniku ajruport Malti.  Tat-tieni barra miż-żona ta’ żvilupp.

Jekk dak li għamlet il-MEPA kienitx show minħabba d-dimostrazzjoni ma nafx. L-unika ħaġa ċara hi li n-nagħġa ta’ Montekristo bidlet it-tattika u taparsi immansat.

Nistennew u naraw!

Ħalluna naħdmu ………ħalluna ngħixu

Ħalluna naħdmu.

Hekk qal l-iżviluppatur Sandro Chetcuti waqt laqgħa organizzata man-nies tan-negozju mill-Partit Laburista. Dan hu slogan li qed jintuża issa biex ifisser ġlieda kontra l-burokrazija. Fost oħrajn kontra l-hekk imsejħa burokrazija fil-MEPA.

Qalulna li fil-Ġermanja permess ta’ żvilupp joħroġ fi tlett xhur iżda f’Malta jieħu ta’ l-inqas tmien xhur.

Li ma qalulniex li f’Malta l-industrija tal-bini tħalliet għal snin sħah tagħmel prattikament dak li trid. Bil-konsegwenza li presentement hawn iktar minn 70,000 post residenzjali vojt. Dawn il-postijiet vojta huma ekwivalenti għal 9 darbiet daqs iż-żona residenzjali ta’ B’kara.

Ma qalulniex li minkejja l-attaparsi kontrolli l-MEPA ħarġet permessi li qatt ma kellhom joħorġu.

Il-Lidl ta’ Ħal Safi inbena bħala riżultat ta’ permess ta’ żvilupp li qatt ma kellu joħroġ. Tant li wara li l-Uffiċjal tal-Verifika (Audit Officer) tal-MEPA fi Frar 2008 ikkonkluda l-investigazzjoni tiegħu kienet irreżenjat il-Kummissjoni għall-Kontroll ta’ l-Iżvilupp.

Il-Lidl ta’ Ħal-Luqa mhux biss nbena f’żona li ma kienx permess li jsir dan il-bini talli l-parkeġġ tiegħu qiegħed sitwat taħt l-aħħar parti tal-flight path għall-mitjar internazzjonali ta’ Malta. Jiena infurmat li waqt li kien għaddej ix-xogħol ta’ kostruzzjoni fis-sit tal-Lidl f’Ħal-Luqa minħabba l-jib tal-krejnijiet li kien hemm fil-parking area l-aċċess għall-mitjar ingħalaq għal xi ħin. Huma u neżlin l-ajruplani tant ikunu fil-baxx meta jkunu fuq il-parkeġġ tal-Lidl ta’ Ħal-Luqa li kien hemm periklu serju ta’ inċident minħabba dawn il-krejnijiet.

Il-problemi konnessi mal-MEPA huma is-swaba politiċi li hemm fiha l-ħin kollu. Ir-riforma tal-MEPA ma indirizzatx l-iżjed element essenzjali u ċjoe kif jinħatru dawk li jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet. Dwar dan Alternattiva Demokratika fil-manifest elettorali li ser tippreżenta għall-elezzjoni ġenerali li għandna wara l-bieb ser terġa’ tipproponi soluzzjoni li lill-politiku toħorġu l-barra mill-proċess li permezz tiegħu preżentement qiegħed involut direttament fid-deċiżjonijiet u minflok issaħħaħ ir-rwol tiegħu (tal-politiku) fejn tidħol is-sorveljanza.

Il-MEPA għandha rwol importanti. Sfortunatament m’hiex titħalla taqdi dan ir-rwol. Tkun tista’ taqdi dan ir-rwol meta jinħatru persuni kapaċi fit-tmexxija tal-MEPA. Dawn il-persuni jeħtieġ li jkunu disponibbli biex kontinwament jagħtu kont ta’ egħmilhom. Ir-rwol tal-MEPA mhux biss li toħroġ jew iżżomm il-permessi tal-iżvilupp. Fuq kollox għandha l-obbligu li fid-deċiżjonijiet tagħha u permezz tagħhom tassigura li l-kwalita’ ta’ ħajja li ngħixu lkoll kemm aħna titjieb.

Biex dan ikun jista’ jsir il-MEPA trid trabbi is-snien mal-Gvern u l-awtoritajiet pubbliċi. (Għax fost l-agħar deċiżjonijiet tal-MEPA hemm dawk fejn huwa involut il-Gvern: il-power station f’Delimara, il-Freeport f’Birzebbuga, l-impjant tal-iskart ta’ Sant’ Antnin f’Marsaskala……) Meta dan ikun jista’ jsir, imbagħad  ikun possibli li jingħad li l-MEPA qed taqdi l-missjoni tagħha.

Ħalluna ngħixu!

Lidl, the Big Brother supermarket, is watching you

From The Times (London)

March 27, 2008

by Roger Boyes in Berlin

The Stasi secret police may have died with communism but its surveillance methods are still alive at Lidl, the German supermarket chain.

George Orwell’s Big Brother, it seems, stalks the aisles between the cornflakes and the canned dogfood. Detectives hired by Lidl – which has more than 7,000 stores worldwide, including 450 in Britain – have been monitoring romance at the cash till, visits to the lavatory and the money problems of shelf-stackers.

Several hundred pages of surveillance records have been passed on to Stern magazine, causing outrage among the unions and data protection officials. Verdi, the powerful service sector union, is offering legal help to Lidl workers who want to sue the company for invasion of privacy.

The secret monitoring of staff seems to have taken place only in Germany, though there have been reports of something similar from Lidl outlets in Eastern Europe. Lidl UK declined to comment yesterday. In Britain Lidl has gained the reputation of being a sharp competitor to chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury but staff have complained in the past of long hours and low wages. Lidl Germany says that the cameras were placed “to secure our goods against shoplifting and not to watch our employees”. Even so, spokeswoman Petra Trabert said that the surveillance helped to “establish any possible wrong behaviour.”

Detectives hired by Lidl in Germany would install ten covert matchbox-sized cameras at strategic points in a supermarket every Monday and observe the store for a week. What emerges from the mass of accumulated material is a portrait of an intrusive employer; no information is too trivial for the watchers.

Here is Observation period 9-14 July, 2007 at a branch near Hanover: “Saturday 10.10am Ms J tells Ms L that she has never paid her television license fees because she is still registered with her parents, even though she lives with her boyfriend. The detective’s end-of-week advice to management is that Ms J is a security risk.”

Ms J’s days with Lidl, one suspects, could be numbered. But a Lidl spokeswoman told Stern: “All the people named in the transcripts are still employed with Lidl with the exception of five workers. Two were released after the end of their probation period, another three offered to resign.”

Little escapes Lidl. Above all there is a fascination with lavatory behaviour. “Ms R has been leaving the till to go to the toilet every 15 minutes, despite waiting customers,” says one report.

Watching two staff at a cash till in northern Germany, detectives spotted a budding romance. “Friday 13.50. The relationship between Ms L and Mr H should be investigated since they seem to have become close. When Mr H counted up Ms L’s takings he drew a little heart on the receipt.”

Among the crates of cheap German beer at Lidl’s Brixton branch, there would be plenty of places to hide cameras. The store’s deputy manager, who declined to be named, told The Times that he had no knowledge of any covert surveillance in his branch. He said that the rows of roof-mounted cameras are there only for security.

For Peter Schaar, the government ombudsman for data protection, the Lidl revelations are deeply disturbing. Federal data protection law, he says, is strict about surveillance in public spaces such as supermarkets. Hidden cameras like those used by the Stasi are banned. “They count as clandestine surveillance which is forbidden.”

MEPA : the fundamental flaw

Published on March 29, 2008  by Carmel Cacopardo

(Note : the words in green do not appear in the article as published, for some reason they disappeared in transit !)

 

 

Mepa reform is finally on the national agenda. Mepa will never be a popular organisation as most of its decisions are simultaneously viewed as acceptable or unacceptable by different sectors of society. Unfortunately, though understandably, it is the issuance of development permits and the related activities which are at the forefront contributing to the public’s perception of Mepa. Lately the matter of public consultation and the extent to which this should be carried out has been an additional issue of contention.

There is but one basic point, simple to point out but too complex for some to comprehend. Mepa’s mission is that of acting on behalf of the whole Maltese community (both present and future generations) in ensuring that development, in its drive to create wealth, conforms to the eco-system of which we form part as well as the social structures in existence from time to time. This is what sustainable development is all about. In carrying out its endeavours, Mepa has no right to discount the future.

This is the measure of Mepa’s failure. It has failed the Maltese community as a whole. Within this context, the suspension by the Prime Minister of the development permit functions at Mepa so soon after resuming office is significant even if for a limited period of two weeks.

There are obviously responsibilities which have to be shouldered and these can be traced to those who opted over the years to channel their allegiance away from the community!

What is the purpose of defining controversial limits of development if these are infringed the moment they are approved? The Local Plans, effective as of August 2006, are controversial enough. Land owners wanted much more; environmentalists much less.

In the past weeks, the audit report on the proposed Lidl supermarket at Safi was published: Development was permitted outside the development zone. The members of the Mepa Development Control Commission resigned on publication of the Mepa audit officer report, which censored them for approving the said application. Will that development permit be repealed?

The Mistra tragedy is still unfolding. At the time of writing one thing is crystal clear: Another development permit, even if only an “outline” one, was issued not only in an area which lies outside the development zone but which is also protected in terms of the EU Habitats Directive, possibly exposing Malta to infringement procedures.

In both cases (Safi and Mistra), the technical personnel at Mepa recommended a refusal of the applications under consideration. Yet, their recommendations were discarded without any valid justification by the DCC.

Now the NGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) has revealed that over two thousand five hundred development permits have been issued by Mepa outside the development zone in the past three years. In such a situation do the Local Plans have any further relevance? It is only a question of time when other irregularities will be identified.

Isn’t it logical to conclude that the members of the DCC who have approved these development permits are as a minimum not aware of their responsibilities? Who will assume political responsibility for these appointments and the consequences thereof?

Accountability has to filter down through the ranks but it has to exist at the very top of the pyramid.

Land use planning is a political process. One cannot take politics out of it. The politicians in charge have to assume responsibility for their actions and decisions. Once they have determined the parameters and approved the policies within which the community can be protected, they should refrain from further involvement: Neither directly nor indirectly. Their role is that of policy makers and not of hands-on managers!

Restoring confidence in Mepa is no easy job. In the recent past no effort was spared to undermine it. Through its actions one could clearly deduce that its loyalty was deliberately steered towards the construction industry.

This is the fundamental flaw which needs addressing. Mepa needs to be loyal to the community made up of both present and future generations. In tackling this flaw one very important tool needs to be used: The financing of political parties needs to be tightly regulated.

The author, an architect, is the spokesman on sustainable development of Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green party in Malta.

cacopardocarm@euroweb.net.mt

 

Lidl …………….is-Supermarket taċ-Ċaqnu f’Ħal-Safi

                            

Is-supermarket li qed jibni ċ-Ċaqnu f’Ħal-Safi huwa għad-ditta Lidl, kumpanija ta’ oriġini Ġermaniża li topera madwar 7,000 supermarket mifruxa mal-Ewropa kollha.

 

L-isem sħiħ tal-kumpanija hu Lidl Stiftung & Co KG. Hija propjeta tal-kumpanija  Schwarz li minbarra l-Lidl tippossjedi ukoll ic-chain stores Handelshof u Kaufland.

 

Lidl huwa mifruxa fi 17-il pajjiż u jopera bħala discount store.

 

F’artiklu intitolat Cheap – but not so cheerful ? Helen Pidd fil-ħarġa tal-Guardian tal-14 ta’ Marzu 2007 (ara http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/mar/14/businesscomment.supermarkets) titkellem fuq l-istrateġiji kontroversjali tal-Lidl, b’mod partikolari fil-mod kif tittratta lill-ħaddiema tagħha.

 

Aqra l-artiklu ħalli tifforma l-opinjoni tiegħek.

 

Tista’ tara ukoll dan is-sit : http://www.union-network.org/UNISITE/Sectors/Commerce/index_multinationals_Lidl.htm

 Inkompli darba oħra.