Moviment Graffitti, in a statement on Friday evening, said that it is “shocked and outraged” by the two Bills presented in Parliament today: one amending the Development Planning Act and the other establishing the Environment Planning and Review Tribunal – Both links are to the PDFs of the Bills, shown first in Maltese and then scrolling further down, also in English.

The Bills were introduced by Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri.

Graffitti argued that these Bills were introduced without any public consultation and without engaging NGOs. “They effectively represent a developer’s wish list, dismantling nearly all remaining legal safeguards.”

It warned that, “among their many alarming provisions, the Bills would allow the Planning Authority’s Executive Council to alter Local Plans without restrictions; elevate planning policies issued by the Planning Authority above Local Plans; allow the PA Board to deviate from planning polices; and enable the Planning Board to disregard environmental considerations, among numerous other destructive measures.”

Graffitti stated that “most concerningly, the Bills severely restrict the public’s right to appeal planning decisions. Appeals would be limited to legal issues raised during the objection phase, subject to unrealistic deadlines for submission, and handled through an inaccessible process.”

Moreover, Graffitti said that “the Tribunal would be granted excessive discretionary powers, including the ability to alter plans mid-process.”

“Astonishingly, the Bills would also remove the Courts’ authority to revoke a planning permit,” said Graffitti.

“This represents nothing short of a full-scale takeover by developers – one that will inflict irreversible damage on our country’s planning system and environment,” said the activist group.

Moviment Graffitti concluded by urging the public “to prepare for the fight ahead.”

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