In a press conference at Qaliet, St Julian’s, Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party said that the rights of residents in the area in relation to overdevelopment are being neglected by the St Julian’s Local Council. AD presented St Julian’s candidate, Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer.
Carmel Cacopardo, Spokesperson for Sustainable Development and Home Affairs, said: “AD is in the process of identifying its candidates for the next round of Local Council elections in March 2012. A good number of candidates have been identified and they will be introduced individually within the context of Press Conferences focusing on local issues. AD believes that Local Councils are not doing enough in standing up to overdevelopment which is rampant throughout the islands. By focusing on this issue we want to convey the message that the environment matters if we want our communities to enjoy a decent quality of life.”
Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer, Deputy Chairperson and candidate for St Julian’s, said: “Residents at Qaliet have been exposed and are still being exposed to noise pollution and to constant dust due to endless construction works. All this causes health problems such as asthma and stress. Sometimes one can hardly walk in parts of this area, let alone use a bicycle, a pushchair or a wheelchair. Because we care and because a person’s well-being is our priority and our main concern, we are here to highlight what these residents have been going through. If elected in St Julian’s Local Council next March I will give priority to residents’ rights which are being trampled upon by overdevelopment”.
Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, said: “Residents at Qaliet have been undergoing constant stress and discomfort due to overdevelopment in the area. Construction is on-going on various sites, and the area is already overdeveloped especially due to the Portomaso development, which has been developed in excess of its original approval in 1995. The developers are now proposing an extra 46 apartments on an artificial lagoon between Spinola road, the edge of the marina and the foreshore. This totally disregards the Environment Impact Assessment of the project which had called for protection of the area in question. The developers were responsible for the conservation of the two species (Wedgefoot Grass and Maltese Sea Camomile), one of which has already disappeared”.
San Giljan: ir-residenti ta’ Qaliet ghandhom jigu rispettati – AD
F’konferenza stampa f’Qaliet, San Giljan, l-Alternattiva Demokratika qalet li d-drittijiet tar-residenti f’din iz-zona li qed tigi zviluppata zzejjed qed jinghataw il-genb mill-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Giljan. L-AD ipprezentat lill-kandidata taghha ghal San Giljan, Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer.
Carmel Cacopardo, kelliem ghall-Izvilupp Sostenibbli u l-Affarijiet Interni, qal: “l-AD qeghda fil-process ta’ identifikazzjoni tal-kandidati ghall-elezzjonijiet tal-Kunsill Lokali li jmiss, f’Marzu 2012. Numru sostanzjali ta’ kandidati gew identifikati, u dawn ser ikunu prezentati individwalment matul Konferenzi Stampi rigward kwistjonijiet lokali. L-AD temmen li l-Kunsilli Lokali mhux qed jaghmlu bizzejjed rigward l-izviliupp zejjed, li dejjem qed jizdied f’Malta. Qed niffukaw fuq din il-kwistjoni sabiex inwasslu l-messagg li ghandna naghtu kaz l-amjent, jekk irridu li l-komunitajiet taghna jgawdu kwalita` ta’ hajja dicenti.”
Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer, Deputat Chairperson u kandidata ghal San Giljan, qalet: “Residenti ta’ Qaliet ilhom esposti, u ghadhom qed ikunu esposti ghal tniggis mill-istorbju, u ghal hafna trab li gej mix-xoghol ta’ kostruzzjoni kontinwu. Dan kollu jikkawza problem ta’ sahha, bhalma huma l-azzma u stress. Xi kultant, huwa impossibbli timxi f’partijiet minn din iz-zona, u huwa hafna aktar difficli biex tuza’ rota, pushchair, jew wheelchair. Ahna qeghdin haw sabiex nenfasizzaw dak li r-residenti ghaddejin minnu, ghax ahna jimpurtana u ghax is-sahha tal-persuna hija l-prijorita` taghna. Jekk nigi eletta fil-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Giljan Marzu li gej, se naghti prijorita` lid-drittijiet tar-residenti, li qed jinghataw il-genb permezz ta’ l-izvilupp zejjed.”
Michael Briguglio, Chairperson ta’ l-AD, qal: “Ir-residenti ta’ Qaliet ghaddew minn stress kontinwu u skumdita` minhabba l-izvilupp zejjed f’din iz-zona. Qed isiru diversi xoghlijiet ta’ kostruzzjoni, u din iz-zona hija diga` zviluppata zzejjed specjalment peremezz ta’ l-izvilupp ta’ Portomaso li gie zviluppat izjed mill-approvazzjoni fl-1995. L-izviluppaturi issa qed jipproponu 46 appartament ohra fuq laguna artificcjali bejn Triq Spinola, it-tarf tal-marina, u x-xatt. Dan il-pjan jinjora kompletament l-Environment Impact Assessment tal-progett, li kien sejjah ghall-protezzjoni taz-zona. L-izviluppaturi kienu responsabbli ghall-konservazzjoni taz-zewg speci li kienu jinstabu hemm (wedgefoot grass u l-bebuna tal-bahar), u wiehed minnhom diga` sparixxa.
