Actions speak louder than words
The current rate of construction has caused a lot of problems in the country. Towns and villages have been ruined by bad planning, unbridled construction, hotch-potch streets, dust, and the list goes on.
Obviously construction is needed, but at the current rate is changing Malta, and not for the better. The government has, for years, not really tackled the issue of unbridled construction.
The Finance Minister, Clyde Caruana, made a statement last week, saying that Malta must shift away from its dependency on construction. “In this country we have always had a passion for construction. The urge to build has always been so. To a certain extent, even though the quality of life has increased, this continuous development of buildings makes people feel that open spaces and the environment are being threatened,” Caruana said. He said that the solution “is to invest in people.”
Caruana explained that the mistake that politicians have always made over the years, both on one side and the other, has always been to turn to construction as it is the easiest way to boost the economy. “If we continue working in this way, like we’ve done over the years, we cannot expect a different result. People are tired of seeing concrete and cranes around our island. I’m not saying that construction should be put to a halt, but we should consider other opportunities that gives this country better growth, without touching or harming the environment,” Caruana said.
These are fine words by the Finance Minister. Yes, construction will of course always be needed, but the environment must be given greater priority.
And by the environment, here we are not only referring to Malta’s ODZ areas. We also mean our urban environment, green open spaces at the heart of our localities, the ability for homes to see sunshine rather than be in the shadow of some taller building being constructed, preserving village and town cores and respecting the visuals of a street and a locality. The country cannot continue with the current rate of construction. It will ruin this country in the longrun, and today’s politicians would be responsible for that.
The statement by the Finance Minister was nice to hear, but actions speak louder than words. Remember, an election is round the corner, and one hopes that this is not just being said to please the ears of many.
The question now becomes, how do you prioritise the environment over construction? Well for one, the Planning Authority needs to be completely re-geared to protecting the environment and surrounding areas when considering an application.
So what does the Finance Minister have in mind exactly? Caruana said that “if we increase people’s potential, the country will gradually change. If we improve people’s skills, Malta’s economic activity will follow suit. This is what the 2022 Budget aims to do.” That sounds like a long-term solution… but what about the now. Parts of Malta are already ruined, which town is next? If the country continues to build like it is today, the Malta we once knew will be no longer.