“Business is bent on taking over the shoreline too. Unfortunately no political will exists to protect the coast.” This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, during a Press Conference along the St Julian’s coastline.

It is now almost three years since Parliament, unanimously approved amendments to the Civil Code through which it tried to impress that it was strengthening coastal protection. These amendments, which we generally refer to as the Public Domain Law were enacted as a follow-up to the publication 7 years ago of the White Paper entitled: “The Public Domain. Classifying Public Property – Achieving a Qualitative Leap in Protection and Governance.”

Coastal protection signifies much more than physical clean-ups of accumulated rubbish. In the Maltese context it should also mean restricting development, which is the greatest threat.

Declarations made in Parliament in favour of protection of the coast are in conflict with the development coastal currently in hand along the St Julian’s coast. Development is not only proceeding along the shoreline: at higher levels it will also project over the sea as is evident in the approved drawings.

Notwithstanding the enactment of legislation which reinforced and updated the public domain regulation and governance framework, after almost three years, the situation gets worse every day. The requests by environmental NGOs, to proceed rapidly with its implementation, have been placed on the back-burner as there is no political will to act. As far back as June 2016, environmental NGOs submitted documented requests relative to 23 coastal sites in order that these be protected in terms of the updated legislation. The Planning Authority has been procrastinating ever since, cautious as ever not to prejudice the interests of the development lobby which it scrupulously serves.

The coast should be protected. It should be accessible to all, even in those cases where it is currently privately owned.

The Planning Authority has failed in its duty to protect the coast when it has already approved three different permits relative to this site, with a fourth one in the pipeline. When one considers the reports drawn up by the Planning Directorate relative to this development one does not find any reference to the need to protect the coast and to ensure that it is accessible. The coast belongs to all of us.

After business has been allowed to take over our pavements together with parking spaces which it has integrated the with their business, they are now bent on not just taking over the coast but also on taking over the sea.

In view of these developments, Carmel Cacopardo invited retired judge Lino Farrugia Sacco to wake up from his slumber in order to ensure that the Lands Authority, which he chairs, wakes up and shoulders its responsibilities.

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Qed jaħtfu l-baħar bil-barka tal-awtoritajiet

“In-negozju issa jrid jaħtaf il-baħar, mal-kosta ukoll. Sortunatament ma teżistix rieda politika biex tkun imħarsa l-kosta.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika waqt konferenza stampa mal-kosta ta’ San Ġiljan.

Kważi tliet snin ilu bi qbil unanimu l-Parlament approva emendi għall-Kodiċi Ċivili li permezz tagħhom ried jagħti l-impressjoni li kien qed isaħħaħ il-ħarsien tal-kosta. Dawn l-emendi, li ħafna drabi nirreferu għaliho bħala l-liġi tad-dimanju pubbliku, saru wara li 7 snin ilu kienet ġiet pubblikata White Paper intitolata: “The Public Domain. Classifying Public Property – Achieving a Qualitative Leap in Protection and Governance.”

Il-ħarsien tal-kosta tfisser ferm iktar minn tindifa u ġbir ta’ skart mormi. Fil-kuntest Malti l-ħarsien tal-kosta għandha tfisser il-ħtieġa li jitrażżan l-iżvilupp li hu l-ikbar theddida għall-kosta.

Id-dikjarazzjonijiet li saru fil-Parlament favur il-ħarsien tal-kosta xejn ma jaqblu ma l-iżvilupp li qed iseħħ bħalissa mal-kosta ta’ San Ġiljan fejn l-iżvilupp baqa’ ħiereġ sax-xifer tal-kosta. Mhux biss,  talli fis-sulari ta’ fuq ser jibqa’ ħiereġ fuq il-baħar ukoll u dan skond il-pjanti approvati.

Minkejja l-liġi li ssaħħaħ u taġġorna l-qafas regolatorju għall-governanza tad-dimanju pubbliku, wara tliet snin, is-sitwazzjoni qed tmur mill-ħażin għall-agħar. Talbiet li saru mill-għaqdiet ambjentali biex immedjatament jibda l-proċess ta’ implimentazzjoni tqegħdu fil-ġenb għax ma hemm l-ebda rieda politika li l-affarijiet jiċċaqalqu.  L-għaqdiet ambjentali ilhom sa minn Ġunju 2016 li issottomettew id-dokumentazzjoni meħtieġa dwar 23 sit mal-kosta kollha ta’ Malta u Għawdex biex dawn ikunu protetti. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ilha minn dakinnhar tkaxkar saqajha, attenta li ma tmurx tippreġudika l-interessi tal-iżviluppaturi li ilha sservi bi skruplu kbir.

Il-kosta għandna nħarsuha u għandha tkun aċċessibbli għal kulħadd. Anke fejn hi propjetà privata.

L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar naqset minn dmirha li tħares il-kosta meta diġa approvat tliet permessi ta’ żvilupp fuq dan is-sit u qed tikkunsidra l-approvazzjoni tar-raba’ applikazzjoni. Meta tara r-rapporti li ġew imħejjija mid-Direttorat tal-Ippjanar dwar dan l-iżvilupp issib li imkien ma hemm imsemmija l-inqas konsiderazzjoni għall-ħarsien u l-aċċess għall-kosta. Għax anke l-kosta hi tagħna lkoll.

Wara li n-negozju tħalla jikkapparra bosta bankini u spazji għall-parkeġġ biex ikkonvertewhom f’estensjoni tan-negozju tagħhom, issa jmiss mhux biss li jieħdu l-kosta, imma jridu jaħtfu l-baħar ukoll.

Huwa fid-dawl ta’ dan li nistiednu lill-Imħallef irtirat Lino Farrugia Sacco biex iqum ftit mir-raqda u jassigura ruħu li l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, li tagħha hu Chairman, tistenbaħ u tagħmel dmirha.