Indigenous species at Wied il-Qlejgħa, better known as Chadwick Lakes, are once again beginning to thrive following interventions to remove alien species.
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Environmental NGOs support Nationalist Bill on ERA reform
Environmental NGOs want to be granted an automatic judicial interest in appeals from the ERA decisions before the PA appeals tribunal
4 May 2021, 9:04am
by Matthew Vella
Malta’s major environmental NGOs have come out in support of a private members’ bill tabled by the Opposition to reform part of the legal framework governing the Environment and Resources Authority.
The Ramblers’ Association of Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta and The Archaeological Society Malta reiterated their stance on the need for greater transparency in the way ERA operates.
On March 27, Bank of Valletta joined other organisations and individuals around the world by symbolically switching off the lights to create awareness for a greener planet. This year, however, BOV employees took Earth Hour beyond its allotted 60 minutes.
The bank launched an internal ‘Go Beyond the Hour’ campaign, encouraging staff members to take up a green stance in their daily routine, be it at the office, at home or outside. Employees enthusiastically took to the challenge, completing various environment-friendly tasks, involving family members in the process.
“Earth Hour is more than just a symbolic gesture, it is another component of a green agenda set out to collectively safeguard our planet,” Charles Azzopardi, executive PR and marketing at Bank of Valletta, said.
Updated 11am with Axiak s reply
Nine NGOs have written to Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia, asking him to sack Victor Axiak from his role as chair of the Environmental Resources Authority.
Axiak, a biology professor who was appointed chair of the environmental regulator in 2016, has come under fire from environmental groups for what they described as a “spate of abysmal decisions.”
In an open letter to the minister (see below), the NGOs listed a series of ERA decisions that they said ran counter to its mandate of protecting Malta’s environment, and accused Axiak of aligning himself with the interests of developers and roadbuilders.
A group of environment NGOs complained Wednesday that a bigger part of the seashore in Balluta Bay may be taken up by the operators of a ferry than originally planned.
The NGOs said that after having been granted permission by the Planning Authority to operate a tourist catamaran in Balluta Bay, Captain Morgan (owned by Fortina group) has now applied to occupy nearly the whole seashore on the left of the bay, effectively denying the public’s enjoyment of the sea from this part .
The groups said the application was disguised as a “minor amendments procedure” to the approved application.