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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@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 • 28 SEPTEMBER 2025 MaltaToday endorses Gustizzja ghal Artna campaign Editorial THE two planning bills tabled in parliament before the summer recess have not been withdrawn. They are still on parliament's agenda despite government going out of its way to try and appease the discontent by holding a public consultation exercise. What was initially intended to be a reform that suspends work on developments under appeal— something that is more than welcome—ended up being an exercise that erodes the citizen's right to challenge development applications. Bill 143 would hand strong powers to the Plan- ning Authority, effectively undermining local plans. Effectively, the PA board will be given the power to deviate from policy; it would be able to consider applications to change building heights, either on its own steam or when requested by the developer, or amend zoning restrictions even in areas outside the development zone. Bill 144, presented as a reform of the appeals pro- cess, would make it harder for citizens to challenge decisions, creating new obstacles and taking away the court's ability to revoke permits completely— instead the permit will have to be reconsidered by the tribunal. But apart from these two bills, the government also published two draft legal notices that would grant an amnesty of sorts for planning and envi- ronmental infringements. These legal notices were only published when government backtracked on its initial haste to push the bills through parliament and opted to hold a public consultation exercise. The only reason the parliamentary process was stopped in its tracks was because the Opposition did not play ball and more significantly because of the backlash government received from organisa- tions, communities, and individuals. Public anger, even from Labour quarters, forced the government to press the pause button. But it is still just a pause. So far, there has been very little coming from gov- ernment to suggest a thorough rethink of the bills will take place. Planning Minister Clint Camilleri has hinted that the government is willing to rein- state the time period for appeals to 30 days—the bills suggest this be shortened to 20 days—and amend the wording in relation to the increased discretion being contemplated for the PA board. However, he has not said how the latter proposal will be amended. The manner by which the government foisted these bills onto an unsuspecting public just before parliament's summer recess does little to instil trust. This is why we take Camilleri's declarations with a pinch of salt. Seeing is believing and so far, what we are seeing are two bills and two legal no- tices still on parliament's agenda. Campaigners who have joined forces under the banner Ġustizzja għal Artna have warned that the danger remains and that the coming months must see stronger resistance. The groups have dismissed the consultation pro- cess, which closed on 7 September, as nothing more than a smokescreen designed to weaken op- position. They are right. The consultation process was opened for a month during August, a time when many people are on holiday and switched off. Meanwhile, the govern- ment embarked on a social media campaign using an actor and a staged interview with a former jour- nalist to explain what it described as "facts" about the bills. The propaganda was intended to sugar the pill. And it's not very difficult to sprinkle the sugar by overlooking the wider repercussions of complicated policies that are difficult to under- stand in the first place. The campaigners argue that the proposed amend- ments and amnesty—government insists it is not an amnesty because people in the wrong do not have an automatic right to have their illegalities regularised or sanctioned—only serve the interests of developers. MaltaToday endorses the Ġustizzja għal Art- na campaign and joins in its call for the reform currently before parliament to be completely withdrawn. A fresh approach to planning reform should involve genuine consultation, kicking off with a White Paper. Reforms should protect communities rather than strip away safeguards, while ensuring that works on developments under appeal should be suspend- ed. The campaign is supported by BirdLife Mal- ta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħ- jar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent, Għawdix, Moviment Graffitti, Na- ture Trust – FEE Malta, the Ramblers Association, Wirt Għawdex, Wirt iż-Żejtun, reLeaf and Azzjo- ni: Tuna Artna Lura. A protest against the planning bills currently be- fore parliament will take place on Saturday, 4 Oc- tober in Valletta. The protest starts at 10am from in front of the law courts. It's time to stand up and raise our voices. Quote of the Week "I'm really good at this stuff… Your countries are going to hell – US President Donald Trump during his speech at the UN General Assembly where he offered his administration's immigration crackdown as a case study for what other world leaders should do to curb mass migration. MaltaToday 10 years ago Shuttered Marsa bar is residence address for 26 foreign nationals 27 September 2015 A shuttered bar on Marsa Road, in Marsa, is hosting 26 foreign nationals who submitted the derelict watering hole's address as proof of their residence in Malta. But outside the First and Last Bar, the signs clearly show that nobdy lives here: the place is on sale. And yet, images obtained by MaltaToday show that over two-dozen people have been allowed to claim this place as their address to obtain an idenity card. The names of these people were all regis- tered under 1, Marsa Road, Mars and yet no chekc are apparently made by the identity card offices to confirm the veracity of these claims. [..]

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