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THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA I May 15, 2016 L,ife 45 EnvironDlent Pristine garigue, which supports a large biodiversity of plant and animal species, is being smothered under grit and topsoil to make way for Eucalyptus trees and other non-indigenous species for trapping and hunting purposes. Seen here is a site in Bingemma, I/o Rabat. WiedGhomor andM abba: two weights, two measures case officer and Environmental Pro­ As a result, tl1e ODZ fabric is unra­ tection Directorate}wruch this time velling faster under tl1e pressure of round the Agricultural Advisory many small blows than due to the Committee also deemed the devel­ fewer large blows, and given that opment ,IS 'excessive' considering this ODZ rampage is piecemeal, the the relatively small landholding of public hardly notices it, as the pace the applicant. One can only imagine of change is slow but w1relenting. AlanDeidun the sense of frusu'ation that case offi­ cers and officials working in the EPD and Heritage Advisory Committee It's just garigue after all reclaim it either for agriculttrral pm­ legal stahls. Among these orchid (I-lAC) feel when they see that, in The latest fad to hit our islands is to poses, bird hunting or u·apping. species is tl1e Maltese spider orchid most cases, tl1eir recommendations buy a plot of garigue land (xaghri) The Maltese grasp of what consti­ (Brimba sewda - OphlYs melitensiS), against development are simply and cover it with tons of aggregate hItes a healthy environment and of which is endemic (and thus res­ Envirornnentalists' spirits were lifted given the cold shoulder. and grit and a layer of topsoil to the role and extent of our national tIicted) to the Maltese islands. when they heard the Prime Minister One may argue that the Planning biodiversity is so poor that this land declming on May I that his govern­ Board's unanimous decision to reclamation practice hardly raises ment would strive to prove its reject the application to build an an eyebrow. In fact, as long as the It seems OK to have environmental credentials. They elderly home in a quarry at Wied owners these plots ofland do not conflicts of interest assumed this bold statement would Ghomor broke the mould. Although build on it but limit themselves to provide breathing space for Malta's this was indeed a watershed their reclamation most people AJaltatodayreported last week that, beleaguered Outside Development moment for the local environmen­ would probably view their efforts since January, five planning appli­ Zone areas, ideally through a blan­ tal movement, my elation stops favourably, especially if they plant cations proposing some form of ket prohibition on further develop­ there and cynicism inevitably seeps The ODZ fabric is leafy trees or lawns for landscaping development in ODZ areas and ment in such areas. in. Let me qualify my position. purposes, tl1Us effectively creating which were considered by the Plan­ Their elation was short-lived. No The troops opposing the Wied unravelling faster some greenery in an otherwise arid ning Commission were presented sooner had the ink dried on the Ghomor proposal, marshalled by landscape. Even the top echelons of by arcl1itect Robert Musumeci, who newspaper articles reporting Joseph Swieqi local council and Nature under the the Malta Developers Association advises government on planning Muscat's words than the Planning Trust (Malta), had mobilised resi­ (MDA) share this view. issues. Of these, tvvo were approved, Commission undermined the his dents, the media and even the Op­ pressure of many Anyone agreeing with such one was hIrned down and two are pledge through various ODZ ap­ position, such that the Planning actions would do well to get a basic pending. Three applications were provals, thus snuffing out any hope Board members were under a lot of small blows than understanding of ecology. For in­ presented by architect Edwin Min­ that things would really change. pressure to oppose the proposal. stance, undisturbed garigue is a toff ane! two by MP, architect ane! Only last week, the Commission, Conversely, the proposal to build due to the fewer habitat that harbours the highest BICC chairman Charles Buhagiar. whose eight m embers include six garages in the Mqabba quarry did large blows, and number ofrare, endemic (restlicted While it is true that these' three architects, gave the green light for a not attract tl1e attention of residents, only to om islands) and indigenous architects are simply carrying out 29-square-meu'e room to replace a media or political parties and thus given that this (native to the Mediterranean their professional practice in pre­ smaller crumbling sU'ucture in an was approved without a hitch, biome) plant and animal species sentingsuch applications, one must ODZ area in Mgarr. The Commis­ despite several objecting expert ODZ rampage is (such as the Maltese shrew). Inac­ also consider tl1e potential conflict sion also approved three other ODZ opinions advising the Planning cessibility is the only way to defend of interest they might have. developments in Mqabba, Rabat Authodty on the case. piecemeal, the pristine plots of gariguc land, as I For instance, advising govern­ and Melliet1a, despite the case offi­ NGOs can only do so much and doubt how effective any enforce­ ment on planning issues and then cers in all three cases giving them so they tend to channel their efforts public hardly ment action would be in such cases. representing clients on applications the thumbs down. on the most blatant cases of Plan­ An e:--."panse of previously pristine for ODZ development which might Intriguingly, the ODZ develop­ ning Board pennit applications. The notices it, as the garigue in Bingemma, close to just qualify for a permit thanks to ment waved through at Mqabba remaining deluge of smaller-scale­ pace of change Nadur Tower in an area known as new policies you helped introduce consisted of four garages in a but much more numerous - devel­ Xaghra tal-Ghattuqa, recently bore is akin, at least in my view, to run­ quarry, which the case officer said opment proposals and sanctioning is slow but the brunt of this misguided land ningvvith the hare and to hunting broke the policy promoting the of illegal development in ODZ reclamation practice. In view ofits with the hounds. But we seem to rehabilitation of quarries. areas, which do not need Planning unrelenting arid nature the site might seem have no qualms about such con­ More recently, the Commission Board approval, sneak through un­ uninspiring at this time of the year, t1icts of interest ill a country where sanctioned a 33-square-meu'e store hindered. In most cases the only yet in this very location, at least four many are those who wear many in an ODZ area overlooking St scrutiny they receive is at instihltio­ orchid species have been recorded hats at the same time. Thomas Bay despite tl1e fact that in nallevel, namely by various direc­ by nahIralists, all of which should www.alandeidun.eu addition to the usual objectors (the torates and advisory committees. enjoy the benefits of their protected [email protected] .

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