“While the greening of urban spaces, especially in areas where these are lacking, is commendable, it is likewise important that the open spaces that we currently have in urban areas are safeguarded and if possible enlarged and not encroached upon!” ADPD- The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo was addressing a press conference on the site in Gzira where part of a garden was proposed to be taken up by a petrol station.

ADPD Public Relations Officer Brian Decelis said that there is supposed to be a consensus on the need for green open spaces, especially in urban areas that have been engulfed by intensive development thanks to a policy that prioritises such development to the detriment of the quality of life of people. This has been due to the successive governments’ policy of using the Planning Authority to allow savage on almost every single piece of land that developers laid their eyes on. All this damage has been carried out on the basis of a policy that put profit before people: indeed, this is what governments’ “business friendly” policies mean for our towns and village.

Various initiatives taken from time to time point to great benefits that nature impacts upon intensively built-up areas. These can be set up permanently in many localities where their centres could be turned into an oasis of relaxation. We acknowledge positively the fact that many local councils have prioritized such initiatives over the years. On the forefront of such action the Gzira Local Council’s intensive work to protect this garden.

In this case the local council put the quality of life at the centre of its work. Although the battle has been won, we should continuously be on the look out because business interests are still being prioritized over the residents’ quality of life! concluded Decelis.

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that on the Gzira site it was unbelievably proposed that part of an existing garden is taken over, of all things, by an extension of a petrol station. This is not on for at least two reasons. While Government is supposed to be investing in greening urban areas, something that is undoubtedly commendable should it be implemented in the proper manner, we should first start by safeguarding what we currently have and if possible, extend it.

Moreover, it is Government’s declared policy that cars on our roads are reduced to 41% of the number we had in 1990. Moreover, as we move towards the electrification of cars, the number of petrol pumps required will diminish and not increase! Indeed, it would have been much more reasonable that instead of encroaching on an existing garden for a petrol station, the same station makes way for the garden to be enlarged. We need this green lung while the petrol station is not necessary!

Cacopardo stated that our urban zones will become more liveable by speeding up the implementation of the policy to reduce the number of cars on our roads, making space for open spaces. This requires that basic services are, as far as possible, available in our urban zones thereby reducing our dependency on private cars.

We all agree on the benefit of creating open spaces accessible for all, but it should be done properly. This must be carried out in a way that avoids past mistakes. While the greening of urban spaces – especially in areas where these are lacking – is commendable, it is likewise important that open spaces that we currently have in urban areas are safeguarded and if possible enlarged and not destroyed,” concluded Cacopardo.

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Spazji ħodor: nippreservaw dak li għandna!

“Filwaqt li huwa oġġettivament tajjeb li jkun hemm tħaddir ta’ żoni urbani speċjalment fejn dan hu nieqes, huwa daqstant ieħor importanti li l-ispazji miftuħa li diġa għandna fiz-żoni urbani, nippreservawhom u jekk jista’ jkun inkabbruhom u mhux inċekknuhom!” Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo meta kien qiegħed jindirizza konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fil-Gżira, fuq is-sit fejn kien ġie propost li parti minn ġnien jittieħed minn pompa tal-petrol.

L-Uffiċjal għar-Relazzjonijiiet Pubbliċi ta’ ADPD, Brian Decelis qal li kulħadd jaqbel dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ spazji miftuħa mħaddra, speċjalment f’żoni urbani li spiċċaw żviluppati b’mod intensiv riżultat ta’ politika li tat prijorità lil dan l-iżvilupp għas-skapitu tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna lkoll. Għal dan jaħtu gvernijiet suċċessivi li taw il-barka biex l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tippermetti dan l-iżvilupp li naqqar kważi kull roqgħa art li l-iżviluppaturi setgħu jitfgħu għajnejhom fuqha. Ħsara kbira li twettqet ħtija ta’ politika li poġġiet il-profitti qabel in-nies : għax hekk fir-realtà tfisser il-politika “business friendly” ta’ gvern wara ieħor.

Bl-inizjattivi diversi li jittieħdu minn żmien għal żmien nafu x’differenza kbira tagħmel in-natura f’żoni żviluppati b’mod intensiv. Dan jista’ jsir b’mod permanenti f’ħafna lokalitajiet oħra fejn il-qalba tagħhom tista’ tinbidel f’oasi ta’ mistrieħ. Nieħdu gost li kien hemm diversi kunsilli lokali li għamlu din prijorità tagħhom matul is-snin. Fuq quddiem nett kien hemm il-Kunsill Lokali tal-Gżira bil-ħidma intensiva li għamel biex ikun protett dan il-ġnien.

Kienet ħidma li poġġietu il-kwalità tal-ħajja fiċ-ċentru tal-ħidma tal-Kunsill. Ħidma li trid tibqa’ issir għax minkejja li battalja ntrebħet kulħadd irid jibqa’ għajnejh miftuħa għax in-negozju qiegħed kontinwament jingħata prijorità fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti! temm jgħid Decelis.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal li f’dan is-sit fil-Gżira saħansitra ġie propost li ġnien eżistenti jitnaqqarlu parti minnu biex fuqha tkun estiża pompa tal-petrol. Dan ma jagħmilx sens mill-anqas għal żewġ raġunijiet. Filwaqt li min-naħa il-Gvern qiegħed jinvesti biex jkun hemm tħaddir ta’ żoni urbani – xi ħaġa li bla dubju ta’ xejn jekk tiġi implementata sew hija pożittiva – irridu nibdew billi nippreservaw u jekk jista’ jkun nestendu dak li diġà għandna.

Minbarra dan, hija il-politika diġà dikjarata mill-Gvern li sal-2030 jeħtieġ li jonqsu 41% tal-karozzi mit-toroq tagħna mil-livell li kellna fl-1990. Barra minn hekk resqin dejjem lejn il-punt fejn il-karozzi jkunu mħaddma bl-elettriku u għalhekk il-ħtieġa ta’ aktar pompi tal-petrol qegħda kull ma jmur tonqos u mhux tiżdied! Għalhekk kien jagħmel aktar sens li minflok ma tittieħed biċċa mill-ġnien għal pompa tal-petrol, għandha tkun l-istess pompa tal-petrol li gradwalment tagħmel il-wisa’ għat-tkabbir tal-ġnien pubbliku. Il-ġnien għandna bżonnu imma l-pompa tal-petrol nistgħu ngħaddu mingħajrha!

Cacopardo qal li iż-żoni urbani tagħna nistgħu nsebbħuhom billi naċċelleraw l-implimentazzjoni tal-politika dwar it-tnaqqis tal-karozzi mit-toroq tagħna. Biex dan iseħħ huwa neċessarju li ż-żoni urbani tagħna jkunu, sa fejn hu possibli, awtosuffiċjenti: b’hekk tonqos il-ħtieġa tal-użu tal-karozzi.

Li nipprovdu spazji miftuħa aċċessibbli għal kulħadd hu tajjeb. Dan irid isir bil-għaqal biex possibilment nikkoreġu l-iżbalji urbanistiċi goffi akkumulati tul is-snin. Filwaqt li huwa tajjeb li jkun hemm tħaddir ta’ żoni urbani speċjalment fejn dan hu nieqes huwa ukoll importanti li dak li għandna nippreservawh u jekk jista’ jkun inkabbruh u mhux inċekknuh, temm jgħid Cacopardo.