Government contradicting its planning appeal reform, PN says on Ta' Xbiex marina

Eighteen months after Prime Minister Robert Abela declared that development projects should not commence if their permits are under appeal, government itself is moving ahead with development despite an appeal.

On Friday, the Nationalist Party stated that Transport Malta has given the go-ahead for the Capitainerie development at the Ta’ Xbiex Marina even though the project’s permit is still being contested.

The failure to implement the reform had also been flagged by Moviment Graffitti when they had carried out a direct action at Joseph Portelli's illegal site in Qala.

The PN condemned government for failing to translate Abela’s words into action, highlighting that last year’s public consultation on the issue has not yielded any meaningful reform. 

“Robert Abela should lead by example and ensure that his government does not permit developments to proceed on permits still under appeal. It is time for him to move from words to action and ensure the government implements what it has promised.”

Under the existing system, appeals against development projects can prove futile if construction moves forward, causing irreversible harm even if the appeal is eventually successful. 

The PN also called for establishing a strict and efficient timeframe for the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) and courts to rule on development appeals in order to reduce delays in the appeals process.

Appeals, they emphasise, are not frivolous but a critical mechanism for protecting environmental and community well-being. 

“It is the government’s duty to provide decisive political direction and enact this urgently needed comprehensive reform in the planning and construction sectors. True change cannot be achieved through isolated, piecemeal measures; the government must prioritise a holistic solution to end these ongoing delays once and for all and restore the integrity that Malta’s planning process deserves.”

The statement was signed by shadow ministers Rebekah Borg and Stanley Zammit.