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MALTATODAY 6 November 2022

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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 NOVEMBER 2022 Hondoq may have been saved. But the danger remains Editorial IT would be a mistake to underestimate the signif- icance of last Thursday's decision, by the Environ- ment and Planning Review Tribunal, to confirm the PA's rejection of a massive tourism development at Ħondoq ir-Rummien, in Gozo. On one level, it marks a rare instance in which popular resistance proved successful in halting what once seemed to be an almost 'unstoppable' project: one which – for the record – used to enjoy such political support, that the area was surreptitiously re-designated from an 'afforestation zone', to a 'ma- rine and tourism-related' development area, specifi- cally for its benefit. As such, the final verdict not only attests to the perseverance of Qala's indefatigable mayor, Paul Buttigieg – and the combined efforts of the numer- ous environmental NGOs which supported him – but it also provides a ray of hope, that PA decisions may be more 'environmentally responsible' in future. Moreover, Ħondoq ir-Rummien is in itself evoca- tive of everything that makes Gozo such a charming, 'magical' island, in the first place. Everything about that area – from its stunning views of Comino, and the Gozo Channel; to the unrivalled quality of its bathing water; to its accessibility through a narrow country lane, passing through one of Gozo's last unspoilt valleys – has made Ħondoq almost emblem- atic of the struggle to save the Maltese environment, as a whole. As Buttigieg once put it, in an interview with this newspaper: "Everyone can see that Ħondoq is spe- cial, and has to be preserved." So it can only be with a great sense of relief, that we welcome the fact that the Planning Authority finally seems able to see that, too. Nonetheless, in the same interview Buttigieg had also warned that: "what really worries me is that the threat will still remain, so long as it remains possible to develop Ħondoq in future." And from this per- spective, the victory that Ħondoq represents today, may yet prove to be short-lived. For even though Thursday's decision represents the last stage of the entire permit-adjudication pro- cess – against which there can be no subsequent appeal - the fact remains that Ħondoq ir-Rummien is privately-owned property, which does not lie outside the development zone. As things stand today, there is nothing stopping the current owners from re-applying to develop the area (so long, of course, as the new application dif- fers significantly from the rejected one); or, for that matter, from selling the property to third parties, who may also have plans to develop it in future. More worryingly still, there is even the possibility that the developers may try, once again, to overturn the decision on a mere technicality. This much was hinted at by architect (and former PA consultant) Robert Musumeci: who noted, in a somewhat am- biguous post, that "Applicants' remaining hope is to now detect a breach of law in proceedings or face of record. That way, process will be reactivated." In brief: Ħondoq ir-Rummien remains technically 'unprotected' from further development, to this day: except, perhaps, by the provisions of the SPED pol- icies, which only place limits on what can, and can- not, be built in such areas. It was for this reason that Paul Buttigieg ended his interview with an impassioned plea for Ħondoq ir-Rummien 'to be firmly demarcated as ODZ, once and for all'. And yet, while the PA's final verdict itself seems to vindicate this view - and despite the fact that both government and opposition seem to agree, on the need to protect Ħondoq from future develop- ment – this remains a step that has yet to be taken. At this point, we must ask ourselves why the au- thorities are proving so reluctant, to take this initi- ative. In this case, the answer cannot be the same as it so often is, when it comes to overdevelopment in Malta: i.e., because – in its bid to maximise econom- ic growth at every opportunity - the present gov- ernment always pushes a 'development-at-all-costs' policy. Even at a glance, one can see that this does not really apply to Ħondoq ir-Rummien. Prime Minister Robert Abela even dedicated a part of his budget speech in parliament, to voice his own support for the opponents of the project. Likewise, Opposition leader Bernard Grech has openly backed Buttigieg's suggestion, to turn the area into a natural park. Clearly, then, there is cross-party consensus to grant Ħondoq ir-Rummien the protection it so sore- ly needs; and to be fair, Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi has hinted that the forthcoming review of SPED will "look not only towards reforms in the area [Ħondoq Ir-Rummien], but also on a national level". One can only wonder, then, why government is taking so long, to implement what is already implied in its own strategic vision for Gozo, as an 'ecological island'. 11 November 2012 Top civil servant used government offices for undeclared private work THE Prime Minister's chief of internal audit and investigations (IAID), a sensitive unit that has investigated the misappropriation of EU funds, discrepancies in tuna-farming catches, and also assisted the EU's anti-fraud office OLAF in the John Dalli 'snus' investi- gation, is under pressure over correspond- ence in MaltaToday's hands that suggests a serious breach of the public service manage- ment code. A detailed trail of correspondence handed to this newspaper by a whistleblower has confirmed that permanent secretary Rita Schembri, the head of the IAID and a mem- ber of OLAF's supervisory committee, used her government office at Valletta Buildings, on South Street in Valletta, to discuss an investment proposal by Far East Entertain- ment Group plc to acquire a 60% stake in the Casinò di Venezia, of Birgu. Apart from using the IAID offices for a private business affair, Schembri's relations with the FEE Group and their interest in the Birgu casino did not have the official approv- al of principal permanent secretary Godwin Grima. Both instances suggest a serious breach of the estacode's code of ethics: using official IAID facilities for private purposes; and fail- ing to declare a possible financial or other interest in FEE's casino bid. But the correspondence seen by MaltaTo- day is also clear in establishing the familiarity between Schembri and FEE chairman Colin Perkins, who describes her as a "trusted col- league"; as well as her deep involvement in the casino acquisition together with another associate, Maltese lawyer Pio Valletta, who is earmarked for a shareholding in the new casino ownership. Valletta is a veteran lawyer who has been in the news over his troubled relationship with the Kazakh billionaire and former secret service deputy chief Rakhat Aliyev, investi- gated on a double-murder and accused of human rights violations; as well as being a non-executive director of Gap Developments plc, the tuna farming magnate Charles Azzo- pardi-owned (75%) developers of Tigne's Fort Cambridge apartments. Quote of the Week "By ditching the stereotype that women stay at home or belong in the kitchen, we can win better financial independence for Maltese women." Parliamentary secretary for equality Rebecca Buttigieg MaltaToday 10 years ago

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