Today we are launching the campaign Ġustizzja għal Artna to resist the unprecedented threat facing our country’s environment, quality of life, and democracy: the Government’s legislative package that seeks to dismantle all planning safeguards currently in place.
More information about the campaign can be found on www.gustizzjartna.org. Groups across Malta and Gozo, both formal and informal, are invited to join by emailing info@gustizzjartna.org. These groups may include non-governmental organisations, residents, students, workers, and farmers: all non-partisan groups whose aims are in line with those of the campaign are welcome to participate.
At the end of July, the Government attempted to push through two planning bills. Bill 143 aimed to give dictatorial powers to the Planning Authority, render local plans ineffective, and open the door to destructive development in every corner of the country. Bill 144, presented under the guise of reforming the appeals process, in reality sought to strip people of their right to effectively challenge Planning Authority decisions by creating countless obstacles and removing the Court’s power to revoke development permits.
It was only thanks to the timely intervention of organisations, communities, and individuals that these malicious plans were temporarily halted. Widespread public anger forced the Government to pause their passage.
But the threat remains. The struggle must now intensify. The so-called consultation process, which closes on 7 September, is nothing more than a smokescreen designed to weaken public resistance to this developers’ coup. These Bills are structurally rotten – devised solely to empower developers and their friends in corrupt authorities – and cannot be salvaged. At the same time, the Government has published three draft legal notices that would grant a blanket amnesty for all sorts of planning and environmental illegalities, regardless of scale or location.
The campaign demands are clear:
1. The immediate withdrawal of the draft bills and legal notices. Consultation cannot take place on legislation that is fundamentally flawed, malicious in intent, and beyond repair.
2. The urgent introduction of a measure suspending works on developments approved by the Planning Authority while an appeal is ongoing, through an amendment to existing law.
3. The publication of a White Paper to launch a genuine consultation on the broader planning reforms Malta truly needs.
Ġustizzja għal Artna is launching a season of people’s resistance to this total assault on the people’s right to live in a country not ruled by greed. Details of initiatives and actions forming part of the campaign will begin to be announced in the coming days.
Organisations
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers Association
Wirt Għawdex
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Ġustizzja għal Artna – Staġun ta’ Reżistenza tal-Poplu
Illum qed inniedu l-kampanja Ġustizzja għal Artna biex nirreżistu t-theddida bla preċedent li qed jiffaċċjaw l-ambjent, il-kwalità tal-ħajja, u d-demokrazija ta’ pajjiżna: il-pakkett leġiżlattiv tal-Gvern li jfittex li jneħħi s-salvagwardji kollha tal-ippjanar li hemm fis-seħħ bħalissa.
Tista’ ssib aktar informazzjoni dwar il-kampanja fuq www.gustizzjartna.org. Gruppi madwar Malta u Għawdex, kemm dawk formali kif ukoll dawk informali, huma mistiedna jingħaqdu magħna billi jibagħtu email lil info@gustizzjartna.org. Dawn il-gruppi jistgħu jinkludu organizzazzjonijiet mhux governattivi, residenti, studenti, ħaddiema, u bdiewa: mistiedna jipparteċipaw il-gruppi mhux partiġġjani kollha li l-għanijiet tagħhom huma konformi ma’ dawk ta’ din il-kampanja.
Fl-aħħar ta’ Lulju, il-Gvern ipprova jmexxi ‘l quddiem b’żewġ abbozzi ta’ liġi dwar l-ippjanar. L-Abbozz 143 kellu l-għan li jagħti setgħat dittatorjali lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, jirrendi l-pjanijiet lokali ineffettivi, u jiftaħ il-bibien għal żvilupp distruttiv f’kull rokna tal-pajjiż. L-Abbozz 144, ippreżentat taħt l-iskuża ta’ riforma tal-proċess tal-appelli, fir-realtà fittex li jċaħħad lin-nies mid-dritt tagħhom li jikkontestaw b’mod effettiv id-deċiżjonijiet tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar billi ħoloq għadd kbir ta’ ostakli u neħħa s-setgħa tal-Qorti li tirrevoka l-permessi tal-iżvilupp.
Kien biss grazzi għall-intervent f’waqtu ta’ organizzazzjonijiet, komunitajiet, u individwi li dawn il-pjanijiet malizzjużi twaqqfu temporanjament. Ir-rabja mifruxa tal-pubbliku ġiegħlet lill-Gvern iwaqqaf għal ftit il-kontinwazzjoni tagħhom.
Iżda t-theddida tibqa’. Issa t-taqbida trid tintensifika. L-hekk imsejjaħ proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni, li jagħlaq fis-7 ta’ Settembru, mhu xejn għajr paraventu mfassal biex idgħajjef ir-reżistenza pubblika għal dan l-assalt tal-iżviluppaturi. Dawn l-Abbozzi ta’ Liġi huma strutturalment malizzjużi – huma mfassla biss biex jagħtu s-setgħa lill-iżviluppaturi u lill-ħbieb tagħhom f’awtoritajiet korrotti – u ma jistgħux jiġu salvati. Fl-istess ħin, il-Gvern ippubblika tliet abbozzi ta’ avviżi legali li jagħtu amnestija ġenerali għal kull tip ta’ illegalitajiet fl-ippjanar u ambjentali, irrispettivament mill-iskala jew il-post.
It-talbiet tal-kampanja huma ċari:
1. L-irtirar immedjat tal-abbozzi ta’ liġi u l-avviżi legali. Ma tistax issir konsultazzjoni dwar leġiżlazzjoni li hija fundamentalment difettuża, malizzjuża fl-intenzjoni tagħha, u li ma tistax tissewwa.
2. L-introduzzjoni urġenti ta’ miżura li tissospendi x-xogħlijiet ta’ żviluppi approvati mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar waqt li jkun għaddej appell, permezz ta’ emenda għal-liġi eżistenti.
3. Il-pubblikazzjoni ta’ White Paper biex titnieda konsultazzjoni ġenwina dwar ir-riformi usa’ tal-ippjanar li Malta verament teħtieġ.
Ġustizzja għal Artna qed tniedi staġun ta’ reżistenza tal-poplu għal dan l-attakk totali fuq id-dritt tan-nies li jgħixu f’pajjiż mhux immexxi mir-regħba. Fil-jiem li ġejjin għandhom jitħabbru d-dettalji dwar l-inizjattivi u l-azzjonijiet li jiffurmaw parti mill-kampanja.
Għaqdiet
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers Association
Wirt Għawdex
