Muscat’s plan for land reclamation must be subjected to environmental assessment – AD

The Green Party has expressed concern at government plans to put land reclamation at the centre of efforts to kick-start the construction industry.

Acting chairman Carmel Cacopardo said government's proposal as announced in the budget presentation, which would include a call for expressions of interest from those interested in development on land reclaimed from the sea, "can lead to mistaken decisions causing considerable environmental and economic damage."

"Alternattiva Demokratika is of the opinion that if government is to insist on its proposal for land reclamation it should first present a draft strategy which should be subject to a public consultation. This strategy should be based on studies already carried out and on such additional studies which government considers it necessary to commission," Cacopardo said.

"It is completely mistaken to first receive development proposals from interested parties and then tailor a strategy to fit the interests of the construction industry and developers. This country has the duty to protect its marine environment. The stakeholders are not just the developers and the construction industry. There is also civil society which is completely ignored in government's plans."

Cacopardo said the draft strategy should take into consideration the fact that there are more than 70,000 vacant residential properties  built on land.

"This is a situation arrived at after the excessive building construction permitted during the past years. There is certainly no need of extending this irresponsible behaviour on land reclaimed from the sea. This government risks ruining Malta's coastline with building development, just as previous governments did to the countryside."

Cacopardo said the government was duty bound in terms of various European Union directoves to be clear as to its intentions but also to subject these to a public consultation. "There is also the duty of subjecting such plans to a detailed analysis as is provided for in the Strategic Environment Assessment Directive of the EU which forms an integral part of Maltese law."