PD wants to question Konrad Mizzi at Environment Committee meeting

Partit Demokratiku has asked the Environment and Development Planning Committee Chairperson Alex Muscat to invite Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi to today's meeting at 2pm in Parliament.

PD expect Mizzi to be questioned by the committee made up of Muscat, PN MP Jason Azzopardi, PD MP Marlene Farrugia, Labour MPs Clint Camilleri and Roderick Galdes.

"Minister Konrad Mizzi has committed himself to conceding public land earmarked for tourism in the Local Plan to be also used for high-market accomodation. This is irregular," PD MEP candidate Martin Cauchi Inglott said. "If residential units are to be issued, this would need a change in Local Plan, which is a process dictated by law."

PD MEP candidate Anthony Buttigieg said that public land is being given away by "illogical concessions", the same mindset that gave the DB Group the ITS land at a significant discount.

"Castille is distributing public assets to the detriment of public interest," Buttigieg said.

PD called for a Development Brief on the basis that the project in question on St George's peninsula, is an entertainment venue with adjacent residential areas that have been strained beyond their limits. "Paceville is still without a Masterplan despite the massive and shameless development that is taking place," PD said.

Fresh MEP candidate under the PD ticket, Camilla Appelgren, also a vociferous environmental activist, said that the coastal waters are public domain. "Government cannot commit land reclamation without adequate and sustainable planning," she said, referring to the government's project of a 13-kilometre-long tunnel linking Malta to Gozo.

PD leader Godfrey Farrugia, who said he will be present at this afternoon's committee meeting wants to ask Mizzi why he is using tourism as an excuse to justify one mega-project after another.

PD also expect Transport Minister Ian Borg and Environment Minister José Herrera to be present.