New members for two MEPA boards

The new members of the Environment Planning Commission, which decides permits on a daily basis, include a Labour Party candidate and the former CEO of a planning consultancy.

The commission is composed of two boards, one responsible for ODZ areas and the other for permits within development zones, and its members were appointed for four years following a public call for applications issued by the Office of the Prime Minister after the term of the previous two boards expired.

Simon Saliba, an architect and civil engineer who contested on the Labour ticket in the last general elections, as well as a former San Gwann councillor, will sit on the board responsible for the issue of permits in outside development zones.

Elisabeth Ellul, who drafted the new policy regulating ODZ development, will continue to chair this board. The board also includes biologist and educator Charles Grech and architect Mariello Spiteri.

Spiteri was the CEO of EMDP, a consultancy firm whose work included the preparation of environmental impact assessments for various major developments, including the controversial Hondoq ir-Rummien project. Some comments included in this report were deemed to be “biased” in favour of the marina project by MEPA’s own natural heritage panel: the EIA itself was titled ‘Yes to the Hondoq ir-Rummien Yacht Marina’.

The second board, which is responsible for development within zones, is chaired by Martin Camilleri, a former MEPA case officer and team manager.

Its members include architect Aaron Abela, architect Anthony Camilleri and Anna Maria Attard Montalto, who has already served on the board.

A public call for applications was issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, which appointed a selection board.

As was the case with the previous boards, all members of the boards are precluded from conducting any private professional work unless they get a written approval for specific work they have commenced prior to their appointment and to which they would have to declare a conflict of interest. None of the members has requested such an exemption, a MEPA spokesperson confirmed.

The EPC members will earn the same salary given to the previous commission.

Commission chairpersons earn an annual salary of €54,043. This sum includes a €38,184 basic salary, a €1,980 petrol allowance and a car, and two additional non-pensionable allowances of €13,879.

The other board members receive €47,456 a year each. This includes a basic salary of €32,456, a petrol allowance of €1,980, a car and two additional non-pensionable allowance of €13,020.

Members of the previous commissions were chosen through a public selection process. But while nine persons were selected through a public call the government resorted to head hunting after two of those chosen in the public call ultimately refused the appointment. Three persons were approached but only two accepted.