“The rationalisation exercise should be discarded immediately and land which used to be outside the development zones (ODZ) should be returned to that status. As long as there is the last remaining sliver of land that can be saved, we will continue our fight to safeguard agricultural land and stop this unbridled development.” ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson reiterated the party’s position as he was addressing a press conference in Nigret in Żurrieq, where once again another large tract of what is currently arable land is being slated for development.

ADPD Deputy General Secretary Dr Melissa Bagley recalled how during the past 17 years, from the early days of such destruction, ADPD has shone light on several localities that were being impacted by the rationalisation scheme. From Birżebbuġa to Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Santa Luċija, Ħ’Attard, l-Iklin, il-Mosta and in Swieqi, to name a few places. Today we are in the Nigret area in Żurrieq on another site that until 2006 had been ODZ.

On this site we are facing the destruction of almost 15,000 square metres of arable land with two adjacent development applications:  one that had been approved last year and another that has already been recommended for approval by the Planning Authority. This land is on the outskirts of a village in an area of two-storey terraced houses and next to typical countryside dwellings. If the proposed development is approved, this will effectively allow a massive development over five storeys that will literally overshadow the surrounding residences and destroy arable land forever.

Besides the destruction of agricultural holdings, this development will undoubtedly impact negatively on the quality of life of residents with a substantial increase in the traffic flow in an area that is still rural. It is a well-known fact that such massive projects lead to a degradation of the quality of life of the residents that live or visit these localities. This is why ADPD fully supports the 1,500 objectors to the application that is to be decided soon and calls on the authorities to stop such a development frenzy immediately!

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo recalled how the Maltese Parliament had approved a resolution on the so-called rationalisation exercise in 2006 which changed the status of large tracts of land that until then were outside the development zones (ODZ) to ‘within scheme’ and so developable. This has made possible the proposals for development on land such as this one in Nigret in Żurrieq, without taking into consideration the cumulative impact of such a development.

Few are those that remember that the decision to allow such developments had been taken in 2006, thanks to a PN-led government and cabinet of ministers led by Lawrence Gonzi. The planned destruction was spearheaded by Minister George Pullicino. Alternattiva Demokrattika and eNGOs had objected at the time. The Labour Opposition had voted against it in Parliament but did not change anything about it when it found itself in Government in 2013. ADPD has been the only political party that in all its electoral programmes since 2008 has unequivocally stated that such land should not be built upon. It is futile that the parties in Parliament declare their love for green spaces when they are both in cahoots not to repeal the 2006 rationalisation exercise.

It is pointless to boast of the €700m being spent on the greening of urban spaces at the same time as the destruction and environmental disfigurement being faced by the Nigret fields continues unabated. These should be safeguarded along the other large tracts of land totalling two million square metres that Parliament had sacrificed to development 17 years ago.

“The rationalisation exercise should be discarded now and land which used to be outside the development zones (ODZ) should be returned to that status. As long as there is the last remaining square metre of land that can be saved, we will continue our fight to save it from senseless development, before it is too late,” concluded Cacopardo.

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Insalvaw il-ftit li fadal qabel ma jkun tard wisq

“Il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni għandu jitħassar minnufih u dik l-art li qabel kienet barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp (ODZ) għandha titreġġa’ lura għal dak l-istat. Sakemm jibqa’ mqar feles ta’ raba’ li nistgħu nsalvaw, nibqgħu għaddejjin b’din il-ġlieda favur il-ħarsien tar-raba’ u kontra l-iżvilupp tal-art bla rażan.” Dan tennieh Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party huwa u jitkellem f’konferenza stampa fin-Nigret, iż-Żurrieq fejn iktar raba’, se jingħata għall-iżvilupp.

Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD fakkret kif tul dawn l-aħħar 17-il sena, mill-bidunett ta’ dan l-isfreġju, ADPD tkellmet dwar diversi lokalitajiet fejn qed isseħħ il-qerda ta’ raba’ minħabba l-iskema ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni. Minn Birżebbuġa sa Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Santa Luċija, Ħ’Attard, l-Iklin, il-Mosta u s-Swieqi, fost postijiet oħra. Illum qegħdin fin-Nigret iż-Żurrieq f’sit ieħor li sal-2006 kien barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp (ODZ).

Fin-Nigret, qegħdin niffaċċjaw il-qerda ta’ art agrikola ta’ kważi 15,000 metru kwadru! Hawn żewġ applikazzjonijiet maġenb xulxin – waħda approvata is-sena l-oħra u oħra ġiet rakkomadata għall-approvazzjoni mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Din l-art tinsab f’żona rurali, f’tarf ta’ raħal bi djar ta’ żewġ sulari. Jekk l-iżvilupp propost għal hawn jiġi approvat, dan ifisser li jista’ jkun hawn effettivament ħames sulari ta’ żvilupp massiv li litteralment se jidfen lir-residenzi tal-madwar u dan minbarra li jeqred iktar raba’ darba għal dejjem.

Barra il-qerda ta’ art agrikola, dan l-iżvilupp se jaffettwa b’mod negattiv il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti fl-inħawi b’żieda sostanzjali fit-traffiku iġġenerat f’żona li sallum għadha waħda rurali, fil-periferija taż-Żurrieq. Huwa fatt li dawn il-proġetti iwasslu għal aktar degradazzjoni tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti li diġà joqgħodu jew iżuru dawn il-lokalitajiet. Għalhekk ADPD jingħaqad mal-1500 oġġezzjoni li tressqu għall-applikazzjoni li dalwaqt tkun deċiża u nappellaw lill-awtorijitajiet biex dawn il-ġennati jitwaqqfu minnufih!

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo fakkar kif fl-2006 il-Parlament Malti kien approva riżoluzzjoni hekk imsejjħa ta’ eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni biex meded ta’ art li sa dakinhar kienu barra miż-żoni ta’ żvilupp (ODZ) setgħu jingħataw għall-bini. Dan wassal biex setgħu jsiru proposti għal żvilupp bħal dan f’artijiet bħal din fin-Nigret iż-Żurrieq mingħajr ma jittieħed in konsiderazzjoni l-impatt kumulattiv ta’ żviluppi simili.

Ftit jirrealizzaw li d-deċiżjoni bażika ilha li ittieħdet mill-2006 biex din l-art tkun tajba għall-bini. Id-deċiżjoni ħadha l-Partit Nazzjonalista fil-Gvern permezz tal-Kabinett ta’ Lawrence Gonzi: fuq quddiem il-Ministru George Pullicino. Dakinhar Alternattiva Demokratika u l-għaqdiet ambjentali oġġezzjonaw. Il-Labour fl-Oppożizzjoni, fil-Parlament ivvota kontra, imma hekk kif tela’ fil-Gvern ħalla kollox kif kien. F’kull programm elettorali mill-2008 lil hawn, inkluż fl-aħħar wieħed, ADPD kien l-unika partit politiku li insista li din l-art m’għandhiex tinbena. Huwa ta’ xejn li l-partiti fil-Parlament jgħidulna kemm għandhom għal qalbhom l-ispazji miftuħa meta it-tnejn li huma qed jirrifjutaw li jħassru b’mod immedjat il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizazzjoni tal-2006.

Inutli li l-Gvern jiftaħar li se jonfoq €700 miljun Ewro fi tħaddir taż-żoni urbani tagħna jekk fl-istess nifs iħalli it-tkomplija ta’ sfreġju u qerda ambjentali bħalma qegħdin jifaċċjaw dawn l-għelieqi fin-Nigret. Dawn għandhom jiġu imħarsa bħal ħafna roqgħat art oħra miż-żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art li l-Parlament fetaħ għall-iżvilupp 17-il sena ilu.

“Il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni għandu jitħassar minnufih u dik l-art li qabel kienet ikkunsidrata bħala ODZ għanda titreġġa lura għal dak l-istat. Se nibqgħu ninsistu sakemm ikun għad baqa’ imqar l-aħħar biċċa metru kwadru ta’ art li għad tista’ tkun salvata minn żvilupp mhux meħtieġ, qabel ma jkun tard wisq,” temm jgħid Cacopardo.