ADPD Carmel Cacopardo said:”ADPD condemns government’s scheme to build a 136m-long concrete pier at the Blue Lagoon (PA4833/20) and challenges ERA and the Environment Minister to speak up. Despite being shelved two years ago, this project is back on the agenda. ADPD questions the government’s commitment to a “wellbeing first vision” when it continues to trample over nature and our natural heritage.”
ADPD is adamant that Comino, a Natura 2000 site, is well managed. There can be no such thing as a ‘balance’ between development and nature in Comino, when so-called ‘balance’ merely means building up Comino and commercialising it until it has been squeezed dry for private profit. Achieving sustainability in Comino should mean limiting tourist numbers and rehabilitating the land according to good conservation practices. ADPD calls for the general public and NGOs to continue rallying together against the encroachment and destruction of Malta’s third island. Once something is gone when it comes to heritage or environment, then it is gone for good.
ADPD will continue to speak out whenever the common good is threatened by speculation and backroom deals and will continue to oppose sinister backroom deals which undermine all the good work done by those who truly work for a better tomorrow, whether they are in the public or the private sector. Comino must not be sacrificed for the benefit of a few.
Comino is yet another victim of Maltese governments’ hypocrisy – while paying lip service to wellbeing they consistently destroyed open spaces under one pretext or another – from the infamous 2006 extension of the development zones to the giving away of public land to private interests and strong lobbies today.
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Il-Gvern issa se jdur għal Kemmuna
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo illum qal:”ADPD tikkundanna l-pjan tal-Gvern biex jinbena moll ta’ 136 metru fil-Blue Lagoon f’Kemmuna. Nisfidaw lill-ERA u lill-Ministru tal-Ambjent jieħdu pożizzjoni u jopponu dan l-isfreġju. Dal proġett reġa tqajjem mill-mewt wara li sentejn ilu kienet saret proposta simili. Kif jista’ l-gvern jitkellem fuq il-kwalita’ tal-ħajja u l-kunċett ta’ wellbeing first meta jrid jeqred żona naturali unika?. Għall-paroli l-ewwel jiġu, imma l-fatti juru mod ieħor.”
ADPD tinsisti li Kemmuna bhala sit Natura 2000, titħares b’mod professjonali. Ma jeżisti l-ebda hekk imsejjaħ bilanċ bejn żvilupp u n-natura f’Kemmuna, għax għall-Gvern ‘bilanċ’ ifisser kummerċjalizazzjoni tal-gżira, u l-qerda tal-BLue Lagoon u ta’ Kemmuna f’isem il-profitti. Is-sostenibilità f’Kemmuna tfisser limitu strett fuq in-numru ta’ turisti li jistgħu jaċċessaw il-gżira, u r-rijabilitazzjoni u l-konservazzjoni ta’ Kemmuna skont standards professjonali. Il-pubbliku u l-NGOs għandhom ikomplu jaħdmu u jsemmgħu leħenhom biex nevitaw il-qerda ta’ Kemmuna. Ma nistgħux inkomplu nitilfu aktar spazji miftuħa u naturali.
ADPD se tkompli tqajjem għarfien dwar il-qerda li ġġib magħha l-ispekulazzjoni tal-art, u dwar il-qerda tal-wirt naturali tagħna. Il-Gvern għandu jieqaf jaqdi interessi privati mill-koxxa. Dawk li jridu għada aħjar, kemm fis-settur pubbliku u f’dak privat qed jiġu njorati. Il-qerda ta’ Kemmuna hija kontinwazzjoni tal-qerda li gvern wara ieħor impona fuqna lkoll – mill-qerda ta’ meded kbar ta’ art bl-estensjoni fiż-żoni ta’ żvilupp fl-2006, sal-għoti ta’ art pubblika lill-interessi privati u gruppi arroganti llum.
