Fil-limiti tal-Mosta, fl-inħawi tat-torri Cumbo, il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson u Mario Mallia, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali għal darboħra tkellmu dwar iktar raba li qed jiġi propost li jinbena. Din id-darba l-proposta hi li tkun żviluppata art agrikola ta’ madwar 40,000 metru kwadru fi żvilupp ta’ żona residenzjali oħra ta’ tliet sulari. Disa’ snin ilu diġà konna hawn, qalu l-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party. Dakinhar, flimkien ma’ residenti fl-inħawi konna tkellimna ċar li din l-art ma kellhiex tkun żviluppata.

Disa’ snin ilu l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar kienet semgħet il-karba tal-art u kienet irrifjutata l-applikazzjoni biex din l-art tkun żviluppata. Nhar it-Tlieta li ġejja, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ser tikkonsidra applikazzjoni ġdida, ftit differenti minn l-applikazzjoni ta’ 9 snin ilu biex din l-art tinqered.

Disa’ snin ilu l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar kienet tatna ftit tama li kien possibli li dan it-tip ta’ żvilupp ma jitħalliex isir. Minn dakinhar sal-lum, sfortunatament ħadet deċiżjoni waħda wara l-oħra biex iktar raba tinqered f’diversi lokalitajiet.

Dan kollu hu riżultat tad-deċiżjoni tal-Parlament fl-2006 meta ġiet approvata l-proposta li żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp tingħata għall-bini. Dakinhar l-Oppożizzjoni Laburista kienet ivvutat kontra din il-qerda. Sfortunatament, illum il-ġurnata, l-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern, flok ma jkun konsistenti miegħu nnifsu u mal-pożizzjoni politika li ħa fl-Oppożizzjoni, qiegħed isostni din il-qerda.

Dan kollu jikkuntrasta mal-wegħda elettorali li jkunu investiti €700 miljun fl-iżvilupp u ż-żamma ta’ spazji miftuħa aċċessibli għall-pubbliku. Flok iberbaq is-€700 miljun ikun ferm iktar għaqli li l-Gvern jipproteġi l-ispazji pubbliċi li tagħtina in-natura: dawn jeħtieġu ħarsien mir-regħba mnissla minn żvilupp bla rażan li preżentement ħakem lil dan il-pajjiż.

ADPD hu l-uniku partit politiku f’Malta li repetutament fil-manifesti elettorali tiegħu emfasizza l-ħtieġa li l-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni ikun ikkanċellat mill-iktar fis possibli. Dan jibqa’ oġġettiv politiku għal kull min bħalna jemmen fil-ħarsien ambjentali bħala miżura ewlenija biex titjieb il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna lkoll.

Din l-art f’ Ta’ Durumblat mhiex l-unika waħda li għaddejja minn dan il-martirju. Hemm kwantità ta’ dawn l-artijiet imxerrda ma’ l-erbat irjieh tal-pajjiż. Qalbna mar-residenti u l-għaqdiet tagħhom li kontinwament jitkellmu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ spazji miftuħin aċċessibli għall-pubbliku. Jekk irridu is-serjetà jeħtieġ li nibdew minn artijiet bħal dawn li għandhom ikunu mħarsa minn kull żvilupp.

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More agricultural land for the chop – Il-Mosta

On the outskirts of Il-Mosta, near Torri Cumbo, ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, and Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia, once again spoke about the use of agricultural land for development. This time the proposal being presented is to have around 40,000 square metres of agricultural land transformed into a residential zone with a three-story building. “Nine years ago, we were here,” said the ADPD-The Green Party speakers. “On that day, together with residents of the area, we made it clear that this land should not be developed.”

Nine years ago, the Planning Authority had heard the call of the land and turned down the application made to have it developed. Next Tuesday, the Planning Authority is considering a new application, not much different from the application that was made nine years ago. Nine years ago, the Planning Authority gave us some hope that such development would not be allowed. Unfortunately, over these past nine years, the Planning Authority has taken many decisions that have contributed to the destruction of more and more agricultural land in various localities.   

This can all be traced to the decision taken by Parliament in 2006, when two million square metres of land outside development zone (ODZ) was marked for development. At that time, the Labour Opposition had voted against this destruction. Today, instead of being consistent with the political position it took when in Opposition, it is now keen on the destruction of such land. 

This is in glaring contrast to the electoral pledge to invest €700 million in the creating and maintenance of green spaces accessible to the public. Instead of spending €700 million in this manner, it would have been a much wiser decision for the government to protect the public spaces that nature has gifted us: these need to be protected from the rabid greed that has grown from the unbridled development that has taken over this country.  

ADPD – The Green Party is the only political party in Malta that has regularly emphasised the need for the cancellation of the rationalisation exercise without delay in every manifesto to be cancelled. This is the political objective of all who believe in the need to protect the environment to improve the quality of our lives. 

 The land in Ta’ Durumblat is not the only area facing this fate. There are swathes of agricultural land spread across the island in the same situation. We stand with the residents and the associations of residents who continually speak about the need for public spaces accessible to the public. If we want to be serious about public spaces and their protection, we need to begin with the protection of agricultural land from any development.