Seven organisations have filed a Court action against the recently introduced Legal Notice allowing the regularisation of ODZ illegalities.
The organisations have consistently and strongly opposed this legislation intended to appease developers and reward illegalities in our countryside. While the original 2016 regularisation scheme only accepted sites within the development boundaries, the new scheme refers to ODZ sites. It will include illegal development which goes against planning policies. Thus, policies which are supposed to prevent such development from being allowed will now be overruled by developers seeking to regularise their illegal developments in exchange for a paltry fine.
Contrary to the impression given by the Government’s statements, the illegalities that can be regularised via this Legal Notice are not limited to tiny areas which may have accidentally slipped over the development zone. Alarmingly, there is no limit on the scale of ODZ illegalities that can be regularised. The scheme will even allow for the regularisation of illegalities within Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Natura 2000 sites.
The strong opposition to this scheme expressed during the public consultation process last November was totally ignored without justification. Reportedly, even the Government’s own authority, the Environment and Resources Authority’s (ERA), had its concerns overridden.
In their judicial protest, the organisations argue that the introduction of this Legal Notice is illegal since a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) was not carried out. The conduction of an SEA is a legal obligation when planned laws and policies are going to affect SAC and Natura 2000 sites. They also state that the Legal Notice contradicts several laws, policies and conventions, such as Maltese planning law and the Aarhus Convention which establish the right of appeal for third parties. There is no such right under this Legal Notice.
The seven organisations are determined to take forward their legal challenge to this shameful scheme. The Government-sponsored ravaging of our countryside has to stop.
The organisations filing the judicial protest are:
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers Association Malta
Wirt Għawdex
L-organizzazzjonijiet huma kontra din il-leġiżlazzjoni maħsuba biex taġevola lill-iżviluppaturi u tippremja l-illegalitajiet fil-kampanja tagħna. Filwaqt li l-iskema ta’ regolarizzazzjoni oriġinali tal-2016 kienet tkopri biss siti li jistgħu jiġu żviluppati, l-iskema l-ġdida tkopri wkoll siti ODZ. B’hekk hija tippermetti żvilupp illegali li jmur kontra l-politiki tal-ippjanar. B’din il-leġiżlazzjoni, il-politiki li suppost jipprevjenu tali żvilupp jistgħu jannullawhom l-iżviluppaturi huma u jfittxu li jirregolarizzaw l-iżviluppi illegali tagħhom billi jħallsu multa żgħira.
Għall-kuntrarju tal-impressjoni li jagħtu l-istqarrijiet tal-Gvern, l-illegalitajiet li jistgħu jiġu regolarizzati permezz ta’ dan l-Avviż Legali mhumiex limitati għal żoni ċkejkna li b’xi mod spiċċaw barra ż-żoni tal-iżvilupp. Il-fatt allarmanti huwa li ma hemm l-ebda limitu fuq l-iskala tal-illegalitajiet fuq art ODZ li jistgħu jiġu regolarizzati. L-iskema se tippermetti wkoll ir-regolarizzazzjoni tal-illegalitajiet fi ħdan Żoni Speċjali ta’ Konservazzjoni (SAC) u s-siti tan-Natura 2000.
L-oppożizzjoni qawwija kontra din l-iskema ħarġet kollha waqt il-proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika li sar f’Novembru li għadda iżda ġiet kompletament injorata mingħajr ebda ġustifikazzjoni. Milli jidher, anki d-dubji li allegatament esprimiet l-Awtorità tal-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA) tal-gvern stess ġew injorati.
Fil-protest ġudizzjarju tagħhom, l-organizzazzjonijiet jargumentaw li l-introduzzjoni ta’ dan l-Avviż Legali hija illegali għax ma saritx Valutazzjoni Ambjentali Strateġika (SEA) b’rabta magħha. Meta l-liġijiet u l-politiki ppjanati jkunu se jaffettwaw iż-Żoni Speċjali ta’ Konservazzjoni u tan-Natura 2000, huwa obbligu legali li tali valutazzjoni ssir. L-għaqdiet jistqarru wkoll li l-Avviż Legali jikkontradixxi diversi liġijiet, politiki u konvenzjonijiet, bħal-liġi Maltija dwar l-ippjanar u l-Konvenzjoni ta’ Aarhus li jistabbilixxu d-dritt ta’ appell għal terzi persuni. L-Avviż Legali attwali ma joffrix rikors bħal dan.
Is-seba’ organizzazzjonijiet huma determinati li jkompli għaddejjin bl-isfida legali tagħhom kontra din l-iskema tal-mistħija. Il-ħerba tal-kampanja tagħna sponsorjata mill-Gvern trid tieqaf.
L-organizzazzjonijiet li qegħdin jippreżentaw il-protest ġudizzjarju huma:
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers Association Malta
Wirt Għawdex
