A broad coalition of environmental and social NGOs has kicked off a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at stopping the government’s proposed planning reforms outlined in draft bills 143 and 144. The tour, known as Tour Ġustizzja Għal Artna, began on Sunday morning in Birżebbuġa, where activists set up an information stand in the parish square, next to the town’s Christmas village.
Spearheaded by Moviment Graffitti, the campaign brings together organisations including BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent, Għawdix, and the local group Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa. Their message is unified and clear: the proposed reforms must be withdrawn entirely.
Bills 143 and 144, quietly tabled in parliament in July, introduce a series of amendments to Malta’s planning laws. Activists argue these changes are tailored to benefit developers at the expense of communities and the environment. According to the organisers, the bills and corresponding legal notices pose serious risks to Malta’s towns, villages, and natural spaces.
Francesca Vella from Moviment Graffitti emphasised that the tour is designed to bring information directly to residents, enabling them to understand how their own neighbourhoods could be affected. Rather than relying on speeches from protest stages, volunteers are engaging people face-to-face, answering questions, and distributing informative flyers.
This is not the first major action by the coalition. In October, activists camped outside parliament ahead of the national budget in an attempt to pressure the government into shelving the reforms. A protest earlier that month drew hundreds to Valletta.
Although the government has indicated it may adjust the proposals, NGOs insist that only full withdrawal followed by a genuine public consultation can deliver the planning reform Malta urgently needs.
The tour continues with its next stop in Mellieħa on December 7, with further visits across Malta and Gozo planned throughout next year.