Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/959046
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2018 News 2 JAMES DEBONO THE law still has not been changed to enable the Environ- ment and Resources Authority to send a replacement for Victor Axiak whenever he is sick and unable to attend Planning Au- thority Board meetings. The government had promised to change the law to enable ERA to send a substitute after a con- troversial vote in August 2016 in which a narrow seven votes in favour and six against approved a permit for the construction of a 38-floor skyscraper in Tigné. Axiak's missing vote was criti- cal since – had he voted against – it could have swayed the result, especially after it emerged that he had described the townsquare EIA as a sham in a memo he had sent to another PA board mem- ber before the meeting. In the memo he declared his intention to vote against the project. "Had I known that my vote would have made such a big dif- ference, I would have crawled to the place, despite my cardiolo- gist's advice," Axiak later said in interview. But nearly two years after the Townsquare vote, the law has not been changed to enable ERA to send a substitute whenever Axiak is indisposed. "The law has not yet been changed. Furthermore I have received no information on any proposed changes in the law to enable the change," Victor Axiak told MaltaToday. Questions sent to Minister Herrera on whether the govern- ment still intends to change the law to make it possible to sub- stitute the Environment and Re- sources Authority representative on the Planning Authority Board remained unanswered. In August 2016 Environment Minister Jose Herrera cited le- gal advice given to the ministry from the Attorney General that a board member could not be sub- stituted in case of illness. Herre- ra declared, "The necessary legal amendments were currently be- ing prepared for this to become possible". Planning Ombudsman David Pace had previously expressed his concern that taking a de- cision without hearing ERA's views "runs entirely against transparency and accountabil- ity rules" and broke all funda- mental principles concerning the right to a fair hearing. The fact that the PA was able to forge ahead despite an ERA representative not being pre- sent and the authority's views not being heard simply high- lighted how inadequate exist- ing laws were from an envi- ronmental protection point of view. Following the vote, Axiak had told MaltaToday that on the eve of the meeting as soon as he "realised that due to health reasons" he would not be able to attend the PA board meeting he sent a detailed memo on both the Mriehel and the Sliema tow- er high-rise projects to board member Timmy Gambin tell- ing him to use the email as he deemed fit during the meeting. Board member Timmy Gam- bin read part of this memo dealing with Mriehel. But no reference was made to Axiak's memo during the afternoon session dealing with the pro- posed tower in Sliema. Axiak defended his decision to hand the memo outlining his thoughts only to Gambin, saying in a statement he did it to avoid exerting "unjust and unfair" pressure on other PA board members. Victor Axiak voted against projects approved by the PA Board 19 times in 2017. Among board members he was the one to attend most meetings, miss- ing only four in 2017. ERA still can't replace Victor Axiak at PA meetings, even in case of sick leave TIA RELJIC IT was "strange" for Economy Minister Chris Cardona to suggest turning part of the land surrounding Bulebel into a natural park when this could "drastically disturb" agricul- ture, the Democratic Party said yesterday. In response to this, Car- dona told MaltaToday that he had suggested to Environ- ment Minister Jose Herrera to embark on an afforestation project in the area of Wied iz-Zring, but did not seem to think that such a move would hinder agriculture. "If there is agriculture which is legal, we do not interfere in this," he said, explaining that the decision not to develop the area was precisely in order to not negatively impact agri- culture. Last month, the Prime Min- ister said that alternatives to Zejtun agricultural land were being "considered" as a re- sponse to the public outcry. Environment NGO Wirt iz- Zejtun had said that the loca- tion of the proposed extension included Wied iz-Zring – an Area of Ecological Impor- tance and Site of Scientific Importance. The surrounding land was also identified as a Valley Protection Zone. In Parliament, Cardona said that the government has tak- en note of the environmental and historical value, and that the original plan to develop certain areas was scrapped. "In my opinion, I think that the areas should be land- scaped and accessible to the public," he said. But PD MP Godfrey Farru- gia said that the government has so far failed to guarantee that the zone will not be de- veloped as part of the Bulebel extension, suggesting that the government is being dismiss- ive of the issue. During an environment parliamentary committee de- bate (the one which was side- tracked after PD MP Marlene Farrugia called Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri a 'gbejna'), Environment Min- ister Jose Herrera insisted that land of any historical value in the Bulebel area would remain untouched – but ex- plained that the government was in a tug-of-war of sorts between requests for factories to be built in the area, and the people who were outraged at the excessive land take-up. Moreover, the government could not backtrack on the letters of intent it had already sent, Economy Minister Chris Cardona said, adding that a number of companies were in queue at Malta Enterprise. "To add insult to injury Minister Chris Cardona has made it amply clear that gov- ernment has no intention to revoke the imposed requisi- tion order against a number of Bulebel farmers," a statement issued yesterday by the PD said. "It was indeed strange how Minister Cardona has suggested to turn part of this zone into a natural park when this may drastically disturb agriculture." When speaking in parlia- ment, Cardona had said that eviction orders are issued in response to illegalities. "It generally happens when the government owns a property which is in the possession of someone who does not have a legal title." Speaking to MaltaToday, Cardona said that he can- not comment on the eviction orders due to pending pro- cedures in Court, in which the government does not in- terfere. "But we will respect the eventual decision by the Court, and we will see that the development proposed under the previous administration does not take place." Additional reporting by Massimo Costa A pyrrhic victory? No safeguard from Bulebel extension guaranteed Chris Cardona does not believe having a natural park in Bulebel would hinder agriculture Victor Axiak National Development and Social Fund Agency The National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) Agency is a government agency established for the purpose of managing and administering 70% of the contributions received from the Individual Investor Programme of the Republic of Malta (Cap.188). NDSF is seeking to recruit: Head (Investments and Research) (Jobsplus Permit No 186/2018) Further details of this call for applications are available from the Government Gazette published on Friday, 23rd March, 2018 through the following link: https://www.gov.mt/en/Government/Government%20Gazette/Pa ges/Gazzette-Repository.aspx . Applications, supported by the necessary documentation as detailed in the afore-mentioned edition of the Government Gazette are to reach the CEO, National Development and Social Fund Agency, 46, West Street, Valletta, VLT 1531 by not later than noon of Monday, 9th April, 2018. Office of the Prime Minister NDSF Tel: 22957381 email: raymond- andrew.ellul@gov.mt