Aktar kmieni dan ix-xahar, rajna kif il-Kabinett tal-Ministri ta l-barka lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex tagħti bidu għall-emendi fil-pjan lokali biex jakkommodaw il-proġett Villa Rosa, proġett li se jinvolvi l-ħtif tal-kosta u art madwar il-lokalità. Deċizjoni bħal din hija prova li l-prijoritajiet tal-gvern mhumiex il-ħarsien tal-gid komuni, iżda r-rebgħa tal-ftit. Dan sostnewh kelliema għal ADPD – The Green Party waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet dalgħodu fejn sejħu għal politika li tpoggi n-nies fiċ-ċentru tal-politka u mhux l-ispekulazzjoni bla rażan.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD, Dr. Melissa Bagley qalet li meta ħareg il-permess għall-proġett Villa Rosa, kien hemm ħafna protesti għal diversi ragunijiet. “Hawnhekk għandek proġett li jinvolvi torri ta’ 34 sular, u tnejn ta’ 27 sular, madwar il-Bajja ta’ San Ġorġ. Studji juru li proġett ta’ dan il-kobor f’post li diġà huwa ffullat ovvjament se jitfa’ piżijiet fuq l-infrastruttura tal-lokal, bħal traffiku. Il-bajja, li għandha Blue Flag status, se tispiċċa fid-dell tat-torrijiet massivi. L-‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ li kien ippubblikat is-sena l-oħra wera li l-progett se jkollu impatt negattiv fuq il-ambjent u l-arja tal-lokalità, kemm waqt il-kostruzzjoni kif ukoll waqt l-operat. Kemm hu tassew sostenibbli dan il-proġett għas-sit fejn hu ppjanat? Bla dubju ta’ xejn dawn se jaffettwaw il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti. Ma ninsewx ukoll il-ħsara li se ssir lil Wied Ħarq Ħamiem u l-ekosistema preżenti. Għandna gvern li jwiegħed spazji miftuħa u ‘greenspaces’ imma jsibha bi tqila jikkonserva dawk li diġà qegħdin hemm, dawk diġà pprovduti min-natura.”
“Bħala pajjiż diġà qegħdin naraw il-frott tat-turiżmu bla rażan. Insemmu r-rapport tad-Deloitte li ħareġ sentejn ilu. Bl-akkomodazzjoni li għandna bħalissa u dak li huwa ppjanat, irridu qrib il-5 miljun turist kull sena sabiex ikollna rata ta’ okkupanza ta madwar 80%. Dan ġenn.”
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci sostniet li “Huwa allarmanti li l-gvern stess ħa id-deċiżjoni biex il-pjanijiet lokali jiġu emendati sabiex jaġevolaw il-proġett. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar nediet l-eżerċizzju tal-ippjanar, pero m’hemmx proposti speċifiċi rigward it-tibdil tal-pjanijiet lokali. Għad irridu naraw x’se jsir eżatt, għax din hija konsultazzjoni bbażata fuq dak li għad irid jiġi propost. X’wassal għal din id-deċizjoni ma nafux. Nafu li l-Prim Ministru Robert Abela ammetta li kellu laqgħat mal-iżviluppaturi. Filwaqt li il-laqgħat mar-rappreżentanti ta’ kull settur huma importanti, irridu nkunu nafu kif isiru dawn il-laqgħat, x’ħareġ minn dawn il-laqgħat u jekk jinżammux il-minuti ta’ dawn il-laqgħat. It-trasparenza għandha tkun prijorità għal kull gvern u kull laqgħa li ssir għandha tkun uffiċjali bit-teħid tal-minuti u aċċessibbli għaċ-ċittadini. Wara kollox il-Prim Ministru ta’ Malta suppost iservi lill-poplu Malti u mhux lil settur partikolari.”
“Pero l-affari ma tiqafx hawn. Hawnhekk il-kosta qegħda tinsteraq mill-pubbliku għal skopijiet kummerċjali u biex fl-aħħar mill-aħħar jistagħna l-ispekulatur. Ftit snin ilu, il-Parlament approva legiżlazzjoni, magħrufa bħala l-Public Domain Act, fejn il-kosta u l-art mal-plajja tiġi ddikjarata bħala demanju pubbliku. Hawnhekk il-gvern ikkommetta ruħu li jipproteġi l-wirt pubbliku, inkluż l-ambjent, għall-benefiċċju tal-ġenerazzjoniet tal-futur. Pero din il-liġi milli jidher kienet biss eżerċizzju li prattikament ġie injorat f’dan il-każ. Wara dawn is-snin kollha huwa evidenti li s-settur tal-kostruzzjoni qed jiġi vvantaġġjat u l-fatt li saħansitra Robert Abela lest li jbiddel il-pjanijiet lokali juri dan. Eżempju ieħor huwa meta l-Gvern tal-PN għadda l-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni fis-sena 2006, il-Partit Laburista urew oppożizzjoni kbira. Però, meta telgħu fil-gvern, din l-oppożizzjoni ntesiet. Issa fl-2024, se jerġgħu, għal darboħra, jiġu emendati regoli tal-ippjanar biex jaġevolaw żviluppatur.”
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The coast belongs to us and it’s not up for grabs (not for speculation)
Earlier this month, we witnessed the Cabinet of Ministers authorising the Planning Authority to kickstart the amendments in the local plan to accommodate the Villa Rosa project, a project that will involve the takeover of the coast and surrounding coastal areas. Such a decision is proof that the government’s priorities are not the protection of the common good, but the benefit of the few. This was stated by speakers for ADPD – the Green Party during a news conference this morning where they called for a policy that puts the people at the centre of politics and not unrestrained speculation.
ADPD Deputy Chairperson Dr. Melissa Bagley said that when the permit was issued for the Villa Rosa project, there were many protests for various reasons. “Here you have a project that involves a 34-storey tower, and two 27-storey towers, around St. George’s Bay. Studies show that a project of this magnitude in a place that is already crowded will obviously put a burden on the local infrastructure, such as traffic. The beach, which has been granted Blue Flag status, will end up in the shadow of the massive towers. The Environmental Impact Assessment that was published last year showed that the project will have a negative impact on the surrounding environment and the air of the locality, both during construction and during operation. Therefore, how sustainable is this project for the site earmarked for development? Without a doubt, this project will affect the quality of life of the residents. Let’s also not forget the damage that will be done to Wied Ħarq Ħamiem and the present ecosystem. We have a government that promises open spaces and green spaces but finds it difficult to conserve those open and green spaces that have been provided by nature.
As a country we are already seeing the fruits of overtourism. Take for example the Deloitte report that came out two years ago. With the accommodation we currently have to offer and what is planned, we would need close to 5 million tourists every year in order to have an occupancy rate of around 80%.
ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci claimed that “It is alarming that the government has taken the decision to amend the local plans in order to promote the project. The Planning Authority has launched the planning exercise, but there are no specific proposals regarding the change of local plans. We have yet to see, because this is a consultation based on what has yet to be proposed. We do not know what led to this decision. We know that the Prime Minister Robert Abela admitted that he had meetings with the developers. While the meetings with the representatives of the sector are important, we need to know how these meetings are held, what came out of these meetings and if the minutes of these meetings are kept. Transparency should be a priority for every government and every meeting held should be official with minutes taken and accessible to citizens. After all, the Prime Minister of Malta is supposed to serve the Maltese people and not just those of one sector.
But the matter does not stop here. Our coast is being stolen from the people for commercial purposes and for speculation. A few years ago, Parliament approved legislation, known as the Public Domain Act, where the coast and the land along the beach is declared public domain. By doing so, the government committed itself to protect the public heritage, including the environment, for the benefit of future generations. But this law was apparently just an exercise that has been practically ignored in this case. After all these years, it is evident that the construction sector is being given preferential treatment, and the fact that the government is ready to change the local plans shows this. Another example of Labour’s volt face is that when the rationalization plan was passed by the PN government in 2006, the Labour party, rightly, showed great opposition. However, when they came into government, this opposition was conveniently forgotten. Now in 2024, the planning rules will be amended for the umpteenth time in the interest of a developer’s project.”
