Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/513060
14 FIGHTING for environmental is- sues in a country like Malta can be a lonely and frustrating job. Inevitably, one comes up against powerful lobby groups with con- siderable vested interests… and experience strongly suggests that when push comes to shove, Mal- tese governments will nearly al- ways cave in to such pressures, no matter the environmental cost. The results can be appreciated just by a cursory glance at Mal- ta's ever dwindling open spaces. In 2006, the former [Nationalist] government took the decision to increase the development zone by 16.6%... sacrificing an area roughly the size of Siggiewi to a spate of construction that has been ongo- ing ever since. And since winning the 2013 elec- tion, the present [Labour] admin- istration seems to have gone into development overdrive: among other things, it has embarked on a 'reform' of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) which has effectively weakened existing restrictions on ODZ de- velopment… not to mention the more recent proposal of a scheme whereby illegal developments will be retroactively 'sanctioned' against payment of a fine to MEPA itself. At all points, it seems that the structures we have built up over the years for the protection of the environment are now being thor- oughly dismantled. We can hardly claim to be surprised, therefore, by the recent announcement that the government intends to develop a university campus on 100,000 square metres of arable ODZ land at Zonqor Point. For all the pub- lic outcry, this proposal would appear to be the fruition of an of- ficial strategy aimed at facilitating development at all costs, to the detriment of what little remains of Malta's unspoilt countryside. Yet for all this, the environmen- talist lobby has also registered a number of significant victories in the past. Controversial proposals such as a golf course at Manikata in 2005 – which seemed unstop- pable at the time, given that the suggestion had come from none other than Prime Minister Law- rence Gonzi himself – had to be shelved following intense popular resistance. In that particular case, not only did the golf course fail to materialise, but the area eventually became a national park instead. This in turn suggests that gov- ernments can and sometimes do listen to critical voices within the environmentalist lobby. Is there a chance, therefore, that history might repeat itself in the case of the Zonqor development? Can a government that seems totally deaf to environmental concerns be made to listen? And – more pertinently – is the environmentalist lobby shouting loud enough to be heard? Edward Mallia, a retired astro- physicist and former headmaster, is perhaps ideally positioned to an- swer such questions: having been at the forefront of all Malta's ma- jor environmental battles, past and present. Today is no exception. When I meet him at his Attard home for this interview, he had only just re- turned from a 'consultation meet- ing' with government representa- tives over the proposed Zonqor university. There is a distinct note of frus- tration in his voice as he relives the experience. "The meeting was held the day before the signing of the 'heads of agreement'… whatever that is supposed to mean." He breaks into a hoarse chuckle. " 'Heads of agreement'… sounds more like 'heads of the Hydra' to me…" Mallia does not disguise his scep- ticism regarding the 'consultation' that was meant to take place. Even the timing of this meeting suggests that it couldn't possibly have had any impact on a decision that was clearly already taken. And just to underscore that what we are deal- ing with is effectively a 'fait ac- compli', it also transpired that the area earmarked for development was chosen by none other than the CEO of MEPA, Johann Buttigieg. Doesn't this also mean that MEPA is in breach of its own poli- cies? "Oh, absolutely. There is no doubt about that whatsoever…" Buttigieg, it turns out, was also present for the meeting, and Mal- lia argues that his contribution seemed to confirm this perception beyond any reasonable doubt. "There were also two people from the environment ministry, who – as is typical of government delega- tions – seemed perfectly reason- able, and willing to listen. Buttigieg however just put his foot down. We presented a detailed proposal for alternative sites to Zonqor point: Fort Ricasoli, Fort St Rocco, Is- Salvatur on the edge of Kalkara… these three together provide much more space than the 85,000 square metres required for the campus. Of course, we are pushing the idea of a dispersed campus…" What was the reaction on the part of the government delegation? Mallia shrugs. "The people repre- senting the environment ministry were interested, and said that our proposals should be considered further. On the other side, a stony- faced Johann Buttigieg simply said, 'No, this can't be done'. He started to quote from the act which deals with the restoration of historic buildings. Mercifully, Astrid Vella (of Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar) had the text with her, and he was quickly shown up to be misquoting the law. In any case: the situation was all sewn up… this much was clear." Mallia admits that none of this was very surprising. "The truth is that MEPA is and has always been at the beck and call of the govern- ment of the day…" In this respect, the Zonqor Point controversy seems to reflect a pat- tern we have long come to associ- ate with large-scale development projects. On the pretext of attract- ing foreign (or even local, for that matter) investment, successive governments always seem only too willing to break their own laws. The underlying motif appears to be that anything can be justified, so long as it helps to 'motor the economy'. And taking the same argument to its logical conclusion, it follows that people who oppose such projects in the name of the environment can (and will) be portrayed as 'eco- nomic saboteurs'. How does an environmentalist like Edward Mallia counter such ar- guments? Do the economic merits of the construction industry really outweigh environmental concerns? And if so, aren't environmentalists fighting a losing battle? "Regrettably, your description of the powers of the construction industry does not stand up to seri- ous scrutiny. In the first place, the best economists are no longer tak- ing the crude contribution of any activity to GDP as a good indicator of its economic worth. Aside from that, a contribution of 6-8% of GDP can hardly be described as 'a motor of the economy'… not without any consideration of the burdens im- posed on our balance of payments. For example, the huge sums we spend on importing cement…" Mallia argues that the perception of the construction industry as 'vi- tal' to the economy is misplaced and misleading. "There are at least two other as- pects to take into account. The first is that construction here is clearly driven by speculative forces, hence the huge oversupply of vacant properties. Admittedly it appears that we have been able to beat the laws of supply and demand as far as prices are concerned; but a recent NSO publication showed quite clearly that a reported 5% in- crease in average asking prices was masking the fact that actual sales were made at about 15% less than the asking price." He places heavy emphasis on the word 'less'... stressing that the value of property in Malta is actually on the decline. And Mallia adds that this is only one of the factors that undermines the traditional percep- tion of construction as a necessary catalyst for economic growth. "Next there is the fact that the construction boom is sterilising large amounts of cash that could be more profitably invested in other areas, such as manufactur- ing. Worst of all are the following facts: the first is that the urban landscapes being created by the building boom are not only a blight on their original surroundings, but also create unhealthy living condi- tions." Taken together, these considera- tions will in time further devalue the properties we build today. Then there is the logistical impact of large projects on urban areas which may not be able to support the necessary infrastructure. "If you look at the large number of super/hyper markets in restrict- ed areas – be they actual markets, or markets under construction, or just being proposed…" here he rat- tles off a list of existing or project- ed supermarkets in central Qormi, Imriehel (including the high-rise Interview By Raphael Vassallo maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 MAY 2015 A point of no return? NGOs Despite the mounting pressure I see no sign that we, the NGOs, are going to break, or that the environment has reached a point of no return The truth is that MEPA is and has always been at the beck and call of the government of the day MEPA