The proposed development of a batching plant and a tarmac factory instead of a quarry is a clear sign of how the construction lobby is being allowed to expand to the detriment of both the environment and of people’s health. This plant is earmarked to be built around 500 metres from a residential area without taking into consideration public health. The only motivation is profit.

This was the primary message of ADPD spokespersons who addressed a press conference on site in Mqabba, where the tarmac and batching plants are being proposed. 

 ADPD’s deputy Secretary General said that the Local Council’s silence is of concern, in light of it being informed officially of any development application being submitted to the Planning Authority. Instead of calling a meeting and taking a position on this development, as is their obligation, they have remained silent. This approach shows a lack of care and attention towards the needs of the residents and is cause for concern that whilst the council should be at the forefront in safeguarding their locality’s interests, it has remained silent as though it was business as usual, claimed Bagley. 

According to studies published in the Scientific Journal, Environment International in 2012, similar plants caused increased cases of heart and respiratory problems in people who lived in the vicinity of such industrial plants. Moreover, statistics published by Eurostat this week state that Malta 7.7% more greenhouse gases in the second quarter this year – the highest increase in all of Europe! Whilst the government boasts that Malta saw the highest economic growth in Europe, one must ask whether we should be sacrificing people’s lives and health for the sake of numbers. 

Dr Bagley insisted on the need to conduct studies on the environmental impact caused by such types of industrial plants. One hopes that there shall not be a repeat of the Bitmac plant case and its impact on Iklin’s residents which we spoke about, where the authorities have ridden roughshod to appease some chosen few. We urge ERA to show its teeth and contrary to the tragic decision to uproot twelve Ficus trees, which raised an uproar amongst Mosta residents, hope that it demonstrates that it truly safeguards the environment and is not a puppet of the powerful.   

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci stated that this has the hallmark of yet another case of a government of the few, which steamrolls over the people and is ready to sacrifice the people’s health for the financial gains of friends and of friends of friends. So much so, that the individual proposing the development is very close to the Labour Party to the extent that he had an involvement in the building of the Labour Party’s Headquarters at Mile End and whose daughter works at OPM. 

“This is another case of how this government trades in clientelism and favouring its network of friends whilst sacrificing the health of an entire village to appease a close friend. Malta is ‘just’ with such people and unjust with the rest. We, at ADPD, are against the granting of this permit for the development of this industrial plant in this area because people’s health comes before the profit of a handful of people”, Gauci insisted.

Where is the logic of a government which boasts of having removed what it had termed the ‘cancer factory’ being the Marsa Power Station, whilst giving free reign and approving permits for a cancer factory in every town and village? 

Another saga awaits through the development of the bitumen plant near Imqabba, just like the one in the case of the Bitmac plant, which is having negative repercussions on the adjacent residential area in Iklin. Just like the operational plant in Tal-Balal, the plant in Imqabba will have negative consequences on the residents’ quality of life.  

Gauci continued that this type of industrial plant is not well-positioned so close to residences. If there is a need for such a plant, it should be placed elsewhere. 

There also needs to be better thinking and diversification about where investment flows. It is becoming increasingly unacceptable that in Malta, the strongest inclination for investment remains in the construction sector. It is high time that those who have only benefitted through state favouritism, start to give something back. 

People must be put at the very centre of the country’s planning. Malta does not belong to a handful of people, but to all who reside here. The wings of the lobbies close to power must be clipped. The time has come to cut the construction industry down to size.

Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412011002856
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20231115-1

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Il-proposta ta’ impjant tat-tarmak u l-konkos mhux postu fl-Imqabba

Il-proposta ta’ żvilupp biex barriera fl-Imqabba tinbidel f’impjant tal-konkos u t-tarmak juri kemm il-lobby tal-kostruzzjoni qiegħed jitħalla jespandi għad-detriment mhux biss tal-ambjent iżda wkoll tas-saħħa tar-residenti. Dan l-impjant hu maħsub li jinbena 500 metru bogħod minn żona residenzjali bl-ebda konsiderazzjoni dwar is-saħħa tan-nies. L-aqwa li jagħmlu l-flus.

Dan kien il-messaġġ ewlieni meta kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fis-sit fl-Imqabba fejn qiegħed jiġi propost impjant tat-tarmak u konkrit. 

Id-Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali tal-ADPD Melissa Bagley qalet li s-skiet min-naħa tal-Kunsill Lokali huwa ta’ tħassib meta huma jkunu minn tal-ewwel li jiġu mgħarrfa bi kwalunkwe applikazzjoni għal żvilupp li tkun daħlet għand l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Flok ma laqgħu għal dan l-iżvilupp u ħadu pożizzjoni dwaru kif ikun mistenni mingħand Kunsill Lokali li jaħdem favur iċ-ċittadini li tellgħuh bil-vot tagħhom, dawn baqgħu siekta u ma lissnu l-ebda kelma. Dan l-aġir juri n-nuqqas ta’ sensittività lejn il-bżonnijiet tan-nies u huwa ta’ tħassib kif dawk in-nies li suppost ikunu fuq ta’ quddiem biex jissalvagwardjaw l-interessi tal-lokal tagħhom iżommu siekta bħallikieku mhu qed jiġri xejn, tenniet Bagley.

Skond studju li ġie ippubblikat fil-ġurnal xjentifiku Environment International  fl-2012 nies li joqgħodu fejn impjant ta’ dan it-tip kellhom żieda fil-problemi tal-qalb kif ukoll dawk tan-nifs. Barra minn dan, statistika tal-Eurostat ippubblikata din il-ġimgħa uriet li pajjiżna żied 7.7% fl-emissjonijiet tal-gassijiet serra fit-tieni kwart ta’ din is-sena – l-għola żieda fil-pajjiżi Ewropej kollha! Filwaqt li l-Gvern jiftaħar li kellna l-ikbar tkabbir ekonomiku fl-Ewropa wieħed għandu jistaqsi jekk għandniex nibqgħu nissagrifikaw il-ħajja u s-saħħa tan-nies għan-numri.

Dr Bagley insistiet li hemm il-ħtieġa ta’ studju fuq l-impatt ambjentali li se jħalli impjant bħal dan. Wieħed jittama li ma jiġrix bħal fil-każ tal-Bitmac u l-impatt tieghu fuq residenti tal-Iklin li aħna konna tkellimna dwaru, fejn l-awtoritajiet baqgħu għaddejin romblu biex ipaxxu lil xi wħud. Nistennew li l-ERA turi snienha u kuntrarjament għad-deċiżjoni traġika li taqla’ 12-il siġra tal-fikus li qajmet l-għadab taċ-ċittadini Mostin, turi li hija verament tarka tal-ambjent u mhux biss pupazz ta’ min jiflaħ.

Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li dan jidher li huwa każ ieħor fejn għandna gvern tal-ftit, li jibqa għaddej romblu fuq iċ-ċittadini u lest li jissagrifika s-saħħa tal-ħafna għat-tgawdija finanzjarja tal-ħbieb tal-ħbieb. Infatti l-bniedem wara l-impjant hu xi ħadd qrib ħafna tal-Partit Laburista tant li kellu sehem fil-bini  tal-kwartieri ġenerali tal-PL fil-Mile End u għandu bintu taħdem l-OPM. 

“Dan hu każ ieħor ta’ kemm il-gvern jiddiletta bil-klijenteliżmu u ħbieb tal-ħbieb u lest jissagrifika s-saħħa ta’ raħal sħiħ biex ipaxxi ħabib minn tal-qalba. Malta hi ġusta għal dawn in-nies u inġusta għall-kumplament. Aħna tal-ADPD kontra dan il-permess biex dan l-impjant isir f’din iż-żona għax is-saħħa tan-nies tiġi qabel il-qliegħ ta’ ponn nies” insistiet Gauci.

X’jiswa li jkollok gvern li jiftaħar li neħħa dak li laqqam bħala fabbrika tal-kanċer li kienet il-power station tal-Marsa biex imbagħad qed jagħti r-riħ u l-permessi biex ikun hemm fabbrika tal-kanċer f’kull raħal? 

Din l-istorja tal-impjant tat-tarmak viċin l-Imqabba ser tiżviluppa bħall-impjant tat-tarmak f’Tal-Balal li qed ikollu impatt fuq iż-żona residenzjali tal-Iklin għax hi viċin wisq tagħha. Bħall-impjant tal-Balal li għadu qed jopera, dak tal-Imqabba ser ikollu impatt fuq is-saħħa u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenzi tal-Imqabba. Jaqaw l-ERA ma tgħallmu xejn minn dak li għaddejjin minnu ir-residenti tal-Iklin u il-madwar?

Gauci tenniet li li impjant ta’ dan it-tip mhux postu daqshekk viċin l-abitat. Jekk hemm ħtieġa tiegħu isir x’imkien ieħor.

Għandu wkoll ikun hemm aktar ħsieb u diversifikazzjoni f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam ma investiment. Ma jistax ikun li Malta l-uniku mod kif tista tinvesti flusek jibqa’ l-aktar fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni. Wasal il-waqt li dawn in-nies li draw jieħdu u jerdgħu minn fuq dahar il-pajjiż jagħtu xi ħaġa lura.

Hemm bżonn li inpoġġu ċ-ċittadini fiċ-ċentru tal-ippjanar. Malta mhix ta’ ponn nies imma ta’ kull min jgħix fiha. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu bil-bullying ta’ min għandu l-flus u l-ħbieb fuq min ma għandu l-ebda minn dawn. Wasal iż-żmien li lil-dawk li għal dawn l-aħħar snin draw jgħaddu romblu minn fuq iċ-cittadini, nqasqsulhom il-ġwienaħ u nneħħulhom ftit mill-ħafna riħ fil-poppa li tawhom, temmet tgħid Gauci.