The Grim Reaper visits the MDA in Moviment Graffitti protest

In a short procession to the MDA headquarters in St Venera, activists carried three coffins representing “nature”, “health” and “quality of life”.

Moviment Graffitti hit out at the country’s current planning policies and all authorities involved – the Environment and Resources Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the Lands Authority, the Planning Authority and the Planning Tribunal.

‘Greed is killing our country’

“Currently our country has planning policies designed to appease developers so that they may build as much as they can without respect for anything or anyone”, the NGO said.

“Among these policies are those that allow building on ODZ, such as the so called “sheep farm” in a protected valley in Bidnija, massive blocks of commercial apartments in villages, like those of Joseph Portelli in Qala and in Sannat, and intensive commercial buildings in residential areas, such as Michael Stivala’s hotels in Gżira and Sliema and the db Group monster development in Pembroke.”

“Far from fixing this desperate situation, more is being done to make it worse. A few weeks ago a Legal Notice came into effect which allows for the regularization of illegal buildings on ODZ.”

“These dysfunctional planning policies are administered by rotten authorities busy rolling out the red carpet for developers and ignoring the pleas of organisations and residents, as well as the laws of our country.”

“The institution that is there to protect the environment of the Maltese islands, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), is busy bowing to developers’ greed instead of fulfilling its role of environmental protection. This is clear in ERA’s recent approval of the Hili Group project in Kemmuna.”

“The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) is approving projects that destroy our national heritage, that it was blocking until a year ago. Nor is the SCH opposing the spate of de-scheduling of protected buildings.”

“The Lands Authority manages public land for the good of big businesses instead of for the good of the people. Two recent examples are the cheap sale of natural land in Mellieħa to developers and the transfer of a public alley in St Julian’s for an atrocious project in place of Villa Rosa.”

“The Planning Authority (PA) is a permit-issuing machine that bulldozes over the needs of communities and the environment instead of being an institution for planning and regulation.”

“The Planning Tribunal (EPRT), where appeals from ERA and PA decisions are heard, is a farcical institution lacking any independence and competence.”

Moviment Graffitti said there is no justice in losing Malta to the rule of greed, adding the country is facing an environmental situation that is rapidly getting worse.

This requires genuine action, not empty words and cosmetic changes, the NGO urged.

Valletta protest on 27 May

Moviment Graffitti called on the public to attend its protest ‘Xebbajtuna! Bidla fl-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar ISSA!’ which will be held in Valletta on Saturday 27 May at 10:30.