Environment Minister not excluding siting American University at Fort Ricasoli

Environment Minister Leo Brincat has not excluded using Fort Ricasoli for the planned American University to be established in the south of Malta. “We have identified a site but remain open to new site proposals and will give them due consideration. Nothing is cast in stone.”

Brincat's statment was made as he was answering a question during tonight’s edition of Reporter, which dealt with sustainable development, the environment and climate.

Brincat, together with PN Spokesperson for Planning and Simplification of Administrative Processes Ryan Callus and Alternattiva Demokratika representative Carmel Cacopardo, joined Saviour Balzan in the studio to discuss related issues.

Asked whether he thought the Government was too close to powerful environmentally unfriendly lobbies, Brincat replied that the Government had an obligation and a duty towards the environment enshrined in its electoral manifesto – in particular with regards to the division of MEPA. It cannot go back on its electoral promises, said the minister. Brincat reminded him that the budget introduced 33 environmentally friendly measures.

Cacopardo was scathing in his criticism, however. “The environmental aspect is simply a façade, all rhetoric. With the American university proposal, you have shown how little the environment matters to you. Not only is the site in an ODZ area, but there are also other government-owned sites which could be used. Cacopardo brought up the issue of land reclamation. “You are already analyzing expressions of interest,” said the Alternattiva Democratika veteran. “Yes, you have an electoral mandate and you have committed yourself politically to implementing it, but the idea remains a stupid one in the local context.”

Asked how comfortable he felt criticising Leo Brincat when the PN government did not have a spotless record on the environment, Callus said that environmental organisations had described this government as one with “zero environmental credentials.” The general feeling is that the Muscat government has sidelined the environment, said Callus. He pointed out that there is nobody currently heading the directorate for the environment and that the government appointee resigned two years ago.

MEPA

Brincat revealed that he recently held what he described as “a positive meeting”  with employees in the MEPA environmental division, who he said, thanked him for not leaving MEPA as “the Cinderella of the environmental sector.”

He said that he had personally held back the appointment of the head of the environment directorate. “I did not want to have a second head of planning. I wanted a head of the environment directorate who is responsible towards the people on the board and who answers to me. Now that the change management process is underway, we are soon going to appoint a director as well as a CEO, who will be responsible for the management direction.”

Callus said that he recognised that the splitting of MEPA was part of the electoral manifesto and could not be cancelled, but hoped that the division would be made in such a way as to strengthen the environmental safeguards. Brincat pointed out that, while he was ready to shoulder the responsibility for the decisions in his area of responsibility, MEPA remains the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister until it is split.  

This led Balzan to highlight the fact that responsibility for environmental issues was spread across several ministers. Cacopardo opined that the fragmentation problem could only be worsened with the splitting of MEPA. The issue is not whether they should be split, he said, adding that they were amalgamated under the PN government and had allowed the environmental aspect to be controlled by the planning one.

“The solution is to give more resources and to ensure that the people chosen for the board are environmentally-driven, not led by other motives.”

Brincat said that most important thing is the political will to change things, whilst ensuring the employees are not demotivated. “We are going to build a standalone authority working in synergy with the environmental aspect that will ensure we observe the obligations local and international.”

The PN would be presenting a number of proposals in order to improve the legislative framework to improve, said Callus, but this is not as important as cooperation.

“Let us work together,” urged the PN spokesman, “and not have one government undoing the work of its predecessor. The environment encompasses every aspect of modern life,  it should not be the responsibility of a single minister. We have a government which has relegated the environment to secondary importance and a minister who has to compete with other ministers who deal with commercial interests.”

American University

Last week Government proposed the building of the new university on 90sqkm at Zonqor Point, the reactions to which were largely ones of horror. Balzan pointed out to Brincat that today Alernattiva Demokratika had proposed the use of Fort Ricasoli, which is near Smart City.  Would government consider this alternative site, he asked.

Brincat said the government had identified the Zonqor Point site, but “remains open to new site proposals” and “will give them the due weight.” “Nothing is cast in stone,” said the minister, “we are ready to accommodate. “

The issue did not appear to sit well with Brincat, who said that he believed that ODZ areas should not normally be considered for such projects, bar in exceptional circumstances. “However, the exception should not become the order of the day,” he warned.

Cacopardo supported the idea of investing in the South, but said that the proposed site does not embody the principles of sustainable development. The choice of Ricasoli would build synergy with Smart City.

Callus bemoaned the lack of site identification exercise. He said it is good to have regeneration projects and attract investment and academic development to the south of Malta and praised the good work had been done, but virgin land was not the ideal selection.

The environment in the post-Spring hunting referendum environment

The government had previously felt the environment was not a priority in view of the financial issues and excessive deficit procedure of the EU, said Brincat, but this is no longer the case, post-referendum. “Everyone, including government, must heed the message. There should be -and there is not enough at the moment – the realisation that ministries must carry their part of the burden of environmental protection.”

Cacopardo was more cynical, however. “The lip service will become more sophisticated,” he predicted,“ but the government is not taking this message on board,” he said, pointing to the recent publication of an expression of interest for a racing circuit in the Luqa area.

Reporter, hosted by Saviour Balzan, airs every Monday at 20:40 on TVM2, with a repeat at 21:55 on TVM.