Waqt konferenza stampa f’Ħ’Attard, Carmel Cacopardo spjega l-oġġezzjoni li se tiġi ippreżentata lill-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar dwar it-toroq li se jinbnew f’Ħ’Attard, inkluż minn fuq raba’ saqwi.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD qal:”Il-proposta li qed tiġi deskritta bħala ‘schemed road’ mhix korretta. Fil-fatt il-pjan lokali jsemmi ‘local road’ u mhux it-triq prinċipali jew il-bypass li hija proposta. Fi ftit kliem, il-proposta tmur kontra il-pjan lokali. Ninnotaw ukoll li l-istudju tal-impatti ambjentali (EIA) għad irid isir. Kif tista’ issir konsultazzjoni bis-serjeta’ mingħajr l-informazzjoni importanti li toħroġ mill-EIA? Il-proposta tal-bypass tmur kontra wiehed mill-għanijiet imsemmija fl-iSPED – ‘Thematic Objective 10′ li jgħid li hemm bżonn (ikkwotat verbatim mid-dokument)  “ [a] shift the emphasis from new road construction to better integration of public transport priority measures on better managed roads”. Barra minn hekk l-iSPED jgħid ukoll li biex tonqos id-dipendenza fuq il-karozzi l-ippjanar għandu jiffaċilita’ trasport pubbliku effiċjenti, flimkien ma’ mezzi ekoloġiċi ta’ trasport (Thematic Objective 11 – “To facilitate the provision of an efficient public transport service and other green modes”). Ta’ min insemmu ukoll li proġett bħal dan, li se jżid it-traffiku u l-karozzi jmur kontra l-impenn tal-iSPED dwar il-bidla fil-klima, speċifikament ‘Thematic Objective 9’ (“improving  public/collective transport as a high priority adaptation measure for Climate Change).”

Carmel Cacopardo semma wkoll l-istrateġija dwar it-trasport (Transport Master Plan 2025), li hija l-politika tal-Gvern dwat it-trasport. Qal li din l-istrateġija għandha l-għan li tnaqqas l-użu tal-karozzi fit-toroq Maltin. Il-Gvern stess qed imur kontra strateġija li fassal huwa stess. L-istrateġija temfasizza l-ħtiega li jitnaqqsu l-impatti soċjali, ambjentali u ekonomiċi tal-ammont kbir ta’ karozzi fit-toroq f’żoni urbani. Il-proġett se jagħmel il-kontra ta’ dan.”

“Ma nistax ma nsemmix il-biedja u l-ammont kbir ta’ art li se tittieħed. Għal darb’oħra il-biedja sfortunatament tiġi l-aħħar. Nisimgħu ħafna kliem dwar kemm hemm bzonn ngħinu lill-bdiewa, kemm hija importanti il-biedja għax toffri ikel frisk u sustanzjuż, iżda meta niġu għas-‘si’ u n-‘no’, il-biedja hija l-ewwel waħda li tiekolha. Kif nistgħu nemmnu lil min jgħid li jrid iħajjar iż-żgħażagħ jagħżlu karriera fil-biedja meta f’kull okkażjoni possibbli tinqered l-art agrikola, inkluż art saqwija bħal ma hawn f’dawn l-inħawi?”

“Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar kemm aħna bħala AD, kif ukoll residenti ta’ Ħ’Attard u bdiewa li għandhom ir-raba’ hawnhekk nitolbu li l-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar tibgħat lura l-applikazjoni għall-iżvilupp għand l-applikant għax il-proposta tmur kontra il-politika tal-Gvern innifsu.”

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Central Link breaches Government’s own policies

During a press conference in Attard, AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo explained the objection being presented to the Planning Authority about the construction of more major roads in Attard, including roads which will destroy agricultural land once and for all.

Alternattiva Demokratika’s Chairperson said:”The applicant is describing the proposal as the construction of a ‘schemed road’, but the local plan mentions only a ‘local road’. The application is incorrect since the proposal is for the building of a major artery or bypass. The proposal blantantly contradicts the local plan. It is also important to notice that the representation period which will close on the 10 of September, will close before the Environmental Impact Assessment has even started being compiled. How can there be a serious public consultation without making available the important informantion which comes out of the EIA? The proposal goes against the planning policy SPED Thematic Objective 10 which calls for “ [a] shift the emphasis from new road construction to better integration of public transport priority measures on better managed roads”. SPED also calls for policies which reduce the dependence on cars and Thematic Objective 11  calls for actions which “facilitate the provision of an efficient public transport service and other green modes”. This project will induce demand and create more and more traffic. This is contrary to SPED Thematic Objective 9 which calls for “improving  public/collective transport as a high priority adaptation measure for Climate Change.”

Carmel Cacopardo referred to the Transport Master Plan 2025, which is Government’s policy on transport. The strategy calls for the reduction of cars on Maltese roads. The Central Link proposal again goes against this strategy. The strategy calls for the need to reduce the social, environmental and economic impacts of traffic through various measures. Government, in proposing the Central Link, is contradicting its own policies.”

“I cannot not mention agriculture and the large amount of land taken up by the proposed project. Agriculture is the first victim of these types of projects. All the talk about the need to help farmers, about how agriculture is important to provide us with fresh produce is just empty rhetoric. When the push comes to shove, farmers are always the victims. No wonder efforts to get young people to take up agriculture as a career are failing. On every possible occasion agricultural land is being destroyed.”

“Finally what we, residents and farmers are demanding is that the Planning Authority sends back the application to the applicant for the simple reason that it goes against declared and approved Government policy.”