The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has taken direct action against just 11 planning contraventions in Gozo in the past five years, eight of which were taken in the past 10 months.
Effectively, not one single direct action against illegal development in Gozo took place in the three years between 2004 and 2006 – suggesting a lax approach by the authorities towards planning law enforcement in Gozo. In same period, MEPA only took direct action in 17 cases in Malta.
The statistics were revealed by Environment Minister George Pullicino in reply to a parliamentary question by Labour MP Justyne Caruana.
In total, in the past five years MEPA took direct action in 70 cases in all Malta and Gozo. But it was in the past 10 months that MEPA stared to get its act in order by increasing the number of direct actions.
In the first t 10 months of 2007, a total of 46 direct actions were taken, 13 of which were against illegal billboards. Eight of these cases took place in Gozo.
Two of MEPA’s enforcement actions in Gozo were under media scrutiny as they involved a company owned by the brothers of Nadur mayor Chris Said. Said claims to have reported one of these illegalities himself in 2005.
Despite rampant illegal development in Gozo, between 2003 and 2006 only 13% of MEPA’s direct actions were taken in Gozo. But things seem to have changed in the past few months. In fact 17% of MEPA’s direct actions in 2007 took place in Gozo.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt