Lauded by businesses, given the thumbs down by environmentalists but still praised for his integrity, outgoing MEPA Chairman Andrew Calleja is given a mixed verdict by the people who have depended on the planning authority’s decisions under his leadership.
Most environmental NGOs contacted by MaltaToday expressed their dissatisfaction with Andrew Calleja’s chairmanship in MEPA and were sceptical on his re-appointment as MEPA Chairman for another year.
Only Din l-Art Helwa President Martin Galea said that he has “no issue with Andrew Calleja” serving another term in office, even if he insists that irrespective of who takes the helm, MEPA has to change course.
But business representatives had only words of praise for him.
GRTU President Paul Abela – whose organisation supports controversial developments like the one proposed at Ta’Cenc – praised Calleja for his “integrity” and would “not object” to Calleja’s re-appointment for another year.
Last week MaltaToday revealed that despite pressure from government, Andrew Calleja is still refusing to serve for another year. Calleja’s reappointment could be a stop gap measure before the upcoming election: a period where finding a new chairman could prove difficult for any government.
MaltaToday had also revealed that the government has approached several persons for the post, including a person considered to be very close to environmental NGOs, but the latter has turned down an offer to serve as the next MEPA Chairman.
Speaking on behalf of Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Astrid Vella told MaltaToday that the Government would be conveying the “wrong message” by extending the current chairperson’s tenure.
“We realise that the effectiveness of the next chairman will be severely hampered by the short term of office prior to the general election. Still, we maintain that the appointment of a new chairperson with a mandate to pilot immediate and effective changes, is essential to any attempts to bring on board environmental NGOs in a constructive and fruitful exchange.”
Despite clashing with the MEPA chairman a number of times, Astrid Vella thinks that it is unfair to blame Andrew Calleja for MEPA’s problems.
“We feel that the problems are mainly structural, legislative and in the attitude of MEPA defending projects as if they were their own, whenever objections are raised.”
But Vella cites MEPA’s arrogance in its treatment of members of the public, the litigious and confrontational stances against residents’ objections, and the general lightness with which consultation processes are handled, as major shortcomings of MEPA led by Andrew Calleja.
According to the FAA, Calleja seemed to have overlooked the fact that the post of MEPA Chairman is a non-executive post, which calls for the holder to maintain a certain distance and allow the professionals to get on with their jobs.  
“In the area of enforcement, Mr Calleja was however less proactive, with a poor showing in taking concrete action against abuse, which indicates that a strong reform of all the enforcement framework needs to be undertaken immediately.”
FAA would like the next chairman to bring about greater transparency, remove conflicts of interest within MEPA boards and entities, and to take a more proactive approach to enforcement.
Significantly, the FAA is willing to endorse the government’s nominee for the chairmanship if an appropriate candidate is chosen.
“While the FAA appreciates the Government’s prerogative at law to appoint a person of its confidence to the post of chairperson of an important entity such as MEPA but it feels that NGOs can contribute – as could other sectors of civil society – by endorsing any appointment.”
Lino Bugeja President of the Ramblers Association is less severe with Andrew Calleja describing him as “a man of integrity.”
“But integrity is not the only qualification required for such a decisive post,” Bugeja added.
Bugeja lambasts MEPA for resorting to Orwellian newspeak and for going “to vertiginous heights to defend the indefensible.” He cites the development of 23 villas at Ulysses Lodge in Ramla Bay as an example.
“What is important is that the next chairman not only respects the letter of the law, as the present one did, but also the spirit of the law. If the letter of the law does not reflect its spirit, it should simply be changed.”
Referring to the recent approval of a petrol station in Buqana in Rabat, Bugeja criticised the MEPA board for ignoring the definition of an Outside Development Zone.
“ODZ are becoming the dumping zone for development which is not permitted in other areas.”
The two national trusts – Din l-Art Helwa and Nature Trust – were less scathing in their criticism of Calleja but both of them insist that changes are necessary in MEPA.
Nature Trust President Vince Attard describes Calleja as being “too defensive” in his dealings with NGOs.
“Although he does listen to NGOs he tends to become defensive on certain issues.”
When asked whether Calleja’s term should be extended by another year, Attard replied that MEPA needs an urgent reform.
“The situation is not a happy one, and we are still seeing development occurring outside developmental zones.”
Asked what sort of Chairman he would like to see running MEPA, Attard insists that the chairman should be “an independent and non-political figure.”
“He should have knowledge in sustainable development and have the ability to balance environmental and developmental issues.”
Din l-Art Helwa president Martin Galea would like the next MEPA chairman to change course on two fundamental issues.
Galea noted that over the past years MEPA has slowed down on the scheduling of properties. He would also like the next MEPA chairman to adopt a two-branch approach.
“Permits with no problems should be processed faster and should not be delayed. On the other hand permits which go against established policies, like the one at Ta’Cenc, should not be allowed to drag on for years when they should not be even considered in the first place,” Galea told MaltaToday.
“We have no issue with Andrew Calleja as long as he enacts these changes,” Galea told MaltaToday.
For his part, GRTU president Paul Abela expressed “no objection” to Calleja’s reappointment.
“We did not have many meetings with him but he always stood out as a reasonable man of integrity.”
Abela described the post currently filled by Calleja as a unenviable.
“Most chairmen of other public bodies are luckier than Calleja who bears the brunt of any decision taken by MEPA, irrespective of what decision MEPA takes.”
But Abela criticised MEPA for lacking consistency.
“I can speak both from my experience as Swieqi mayor, where I found myself objecting to certain developments, and from my experience in the GRTU, where we tend to defend development.”
According to Abela the next chairman must use the same yardstick with everyone.
He also insisted that a balance is needed between development and protecting the environment.
“Had MEPA existed at the times of the Knights of St John, it would have been pressured by environmentalist to stop the development of Valletta. But we all know that this development was a positive one.”
Abela also complained about the time taken by MEPA to consider certain developments.