Moviment Graffitti resort to email campaign to demand change to fuel stations policy

Moviment Graffitti have launched an email campaign to demand immediate change to the fuel stations policy. They are demanding a revision to said policy to prevent fuel stations from being constructed on ODZ land following a long period of waiting for a reform that isn't forthcoming, they said.

Moviment Graffitti released a press statement on Saturday afternoon, urging the public to participate in the email campaign.

"The current Fuel Service Station Policy allows the construction of massive so-called fuel stations on natural and agricultural land... even the authorities have admitted that the policy is wrong and should be changed," they said. Graffitti have claimed that the Planning Authority has stalled the process and that no changes, to date, have been effected.

"Four fuel stations have already been approved in the past months and there are 12 other applications that are currently being processed." If approved, Graffitti claim, a total of 52,000m², equivalent to six times the size of the Floriana granaries, will be colonised by the construction of these fuel stations. "In the meantime," Graffitti said, new applications for the development of fuel stations continue to be submitted."

The NGO said that this email campaign comes after futile and "endless discussions and consultation processes" while the country is being ravaged by continued development. "The authorities should just do the right thing and implement a revised fuel stations policy now," they said.

The email campaign consists of a public forum through which the public could send a pre-written email to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Transport Minister Ian Borg, Environment Minister Jose Herrera, Chairperson of the Environment and Development Planning Committee Alex Muscat, Chairperson of the PA Board Vincent Cassar and the PA Executive Chairperson Johann Buttigieg.