Despite all the rhetoric by government about urban open spaces, another piece of public land has been slated for private development. Taż-Żnuber, situated in Mellieħa, is a crucial green lung for the residents of the surrounding area and must be preserved as such. This relentless targeting of public land by speculators and the government, solely to maximise profit through construction, is entirely unacceptable and represents a disregard for the community’s well-being and the environment.
“The stories about selling off public land for intensive development is nothing new. The transfer of public land into the hands of developers for commercial gain must stop immediately,” stated Luke Caruana, ADPD candidate on districts 12 and 13. “Taż-Żnuber offers one of the only significant open spaces left in the area, providing much-needed respite from over-development. Handing it over to private interests would be a considerable loss to the residents and an irreversible environmental mistake.”
“We are calling on the government to immediately cease the process of transfer of Taż-Żnuber to a private developer. The government’s actions demonstrate a clear disconnect between public rhetoric and policy decisions. It has become obvious that Prime Minister Robert Abela and his government do not genuinely have the residents’ interests at heart.”
ADPD Chairperson and candidate on districts 6 and 12, Sandra Gauci said: “Abela has publicly spoken against the practice of transferring government-owned land for development purposes, often claiming such actions go against his political principles. However, this sounds hollow when compared to the actual reality of his administration’s behaviour. Time and again, when faced with decisions regarding planning and land use, the government consistently fails to back up its stated principles with concrete action, appearing instead to capitulate to the powerful interests of the construction lobby.”
The pattern of the government only changing its course under immense public pressure is a worrying constant. We recall the struggles over other significant sites, such as Manoel Island, where only sustained and unified public outcry forced both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party to reverse their positions.
ADPD insists that the government must not wait for protests and campaigns to erupt. It must proactively honour its stated commitment to environmental preservation and community welfare. Taż-Żnuber must be immediately removed from any speculative development plans, secured as a public green area, and officially designated as an urban space. The land is public and must remain in public hands.
