Finalised version of Fuel Station Policy Review handed to Planning Authority chief

● New policy will not be implemented by end of year given required consultation period

A finalised version of the Fuel Station Policy Review has been referred to PA Executive Chairperson Johann Buttigieg, and was discussed last Tuesday, correspondence tabled in the Environment and Development Planning Committee in Parliament read, however the new policy will not be implemented before next year.

A letter in response to questions sent by the Committee to the Planning Authority was read out at the beginning of the last meeting on Wednesday.

“The objectives for the review of the Policy were received on the 11th May 2018. A Technical Team was setup between the Planning Authority, the Environment and Resources Authority and the Regulator for energy and water services. On the 26th June the objectives were issued for public consultation for a period of three week. Comments were received from Ramblers Association, Moviment Graffiti, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, GRTU

and a private individual. On the 14th August the first draft was circulated to the relevant Authorities. These included Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC), Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), Civil Protection Department (CPD), The Energy & Water Agency (EWA), Transport Malta (TM) and Environmental Health. Comments received by ERA, EWA and the AAC. CPD requested an extension of time to submit their comments after a meeting held with the technical committee.

“A finalised version has been referred to the Executive Chairman last week and will be discussed Tuesday (last Tuesday given that the letter was read out on Wednesday), following which the revised policy will be issued for public consultation for 6 weeks. Following this period the Executive Council will review the submissions, and a final opinion will be referred to the Minister for his endorsement. Should any major changes from the draft policy take place another public consultation process will be initiated.”

The fuel station policy has been at the centre of controversy, even leading to protests during Planning Authority Board meetings when such applications were being discussed. In one instance, the police physically removed protestors from the PA board room area. The aforementioned response sent by the PA means that a revised fuel station policy would not be implemented before 2019, over a year since the PD began calling for a discussion of the policy within the Parliamentary Committee back in December 2017, given the consultation period that will be announced.

Many arguments have been made regarding the policy. One major argument is that the current policy allows for a maximum of 3,000 square metres on ODZ land in certain circumstances for a fuel station, which would sometimes also include other commercial activity, like a shop. This situation angered many. Another argument being made is that, if Malta were to changeover to electric vehicles, then such large stations are effectively pointless. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had previously spoke of a consultation on setting a cut-off date beyond which all new car purchases would have to be of electric or similar vehicles. Activists argue that fuel station applications should not be discussed until the policy review concludes, and argue that the process itself is taking too long at the Planning Authority.

PD Leader Godfrey Farrugia, speaking with the Malta Independent, said that according to statistics which the PD had presented, there are more than the amount of fuel stations needed around the Maltese islands, despite the amount of cars on the road rising by around 40 per day.

Back in April, Farrugia had explained within the committee that Malta currently has an overprovision of petrol stations, after describing an equation using conservative estimates which shows that the stations could provide fuel for 500,000 vehicles per week, while adding that currently there are around 370,000 vehicles.

“Every time we add a new fuel station, we know that this is not a wise investment as aside from having more fuel stations than needed, we know that there will come a time by 2035 when cars will no longer run on petrol or diesel, but on batteries and electricity. So we are taking precious ODZ land which has a holistic value, such as gathering water which passes through to the underground water system,” he told this newsroom.

Farrugia said that there is a need for Malta, given the country’s limited capacity, to take a position with a limitation on the number of petrol stations. He said that there is a limitation on the number of pharmacies.

“There is a free market in Europe but when it comes to pharmacies they open according to the population growth. So can’t there be the same system for fuel stations?”

He also criticises the PA over the amount of time it is taking to come out with the revised policy.