F’temp ta’ xahar, tul kampanja elettorali, rajna l-impatt tal-iżvilupp fl-agħar tiegħu. Fosthom kien hemm l-approvazzjoni tal-bini massiċċ fil-buffer zone biswit il-Ġgantija, id-deċiżjoni li teqred il-barracks storiċi fil-Forti Chambray biex issir lukanda, il-kollass tal-pedamenti ta’ bini massiċċ ieħor fin-Naxxar li wassal għall-evakwazzjoni tar-residenti tal-madwar, it-theddida ta’ żvilupp fuq medda ta’ art fin-Nigret.kif ukoll l-iżvilupp fuq medda tal-art enormi oħra f’Pembroke. Dan qalu Mario Mallia, deputat segretarju ġenerali ta’ ADPD u kandidat għall-elezzjoni ġenerali fuq distretti 2 u 8.

Marcus Lauri, kandidat fuq l-10 distrett, tenna se jieħu sehem fil-protesta organizzata mal-komunita’ ta’ Pembroke u l-Moviment Graffitti, biex f’isem ADPD juri solidarjetà mar-residenti li għal darb’ ohra, qed jiġu assedjati minn żvilupp massiċċ ieħor. Lauri sostna li l-gvern qed ikun kontradittorju meta jgħid li jrid indiċi li jkejjel il-benesseri tal-popolazzjoni, jinvesti 700 miljun fi Project Green, u fl-istess nifs, ikompli jidfen art miftuħa u naturali. Lauri spjega li wara l-iżvilupp mostruż tad-DB, il-qirda ta’ Moynihan House u Dolphin House kif ukoll il-bini tal-ITS, flimkien mal-proġett mostruż ieħor ipproġettat fuq il-ġonna antiki ta’ Villa Rosa bl-imbuttatura tal-gvern, l-aħħar ħaga li kellhom bżonn ir-residenti huwa żvilupp massiċċ ieħor. Dan juri l-insensittività ta’gvern bi prijoritajiet rashom ‘l isfel.

Filwaqt li l-ħolqien ta’ faċilitajiet sportivi huwa ta’ gid, kien ovvju li ma sar l-ebda sforz biex jinstabu siti alternattivi fejn dawn jistgħu isiru. Lauri sostna li minflok, il-gvern rega’ dar ghas-soluzzjoni l-iktar facli li jordom iktar art verġni.

ADPD jibqa’ jinsisti

• Jiġu riveduti il-pjanijiet lokali skaduti li jieħdu konsiderazzjoni tal-qagħda tal-użu tal-art fil-pajjiż illum u l-iżvilupp sproporzjonat u mhux sostenibbli tiegħu.
• Sakemm issir din ir-reviżjoni, jiġi fis-seħħ immedjat moratorium fuq il-bini ta’ żvilupp massiċċ. Dan jagħti ċans biex il-pajjiż jippjana b’mod sostenibbli u meqjus.

Għaldaqstant, APDP jingħaqad b’solidarjeta’ mar-residenti ta’ Pembroke fl-isforzi tagħhom biex dan l-iżvilupp ma jsirx.

Pajjiżna jixraqlu politika responsabbli u sostenibbli li tirrispetta id-drittijiet mhux biss tal-popolazzjoni tal-lum imma partikolarment id-dritt tat-tfal ta’ għada li jgawdu lil pajjiżhom.

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Don’t bury Pembroke alive

During this month-long electoral campaign, we have seen the impact of development at its worst. Amongst them there is the approval of the massive development in the buffer zone along Ġgantija, the decision to dismantle the barracks within Fort Chambray to build a hotel, the collapse of the foundations of a large multi-storey building in Naxxar and the subsequent evacuation of neighbouring inhabitants, and the threat of development in the area known as Ta’ Nigret in Żurrieq. Now there is the threat of more development over a large area in Pembroke. This was said by Mario Mallia, deputy secretary general of ADPD and an electoral candidate on districts 2 and 8.

Marcus Lauri, candidate for the tenth district, said that they are taking part in the protest organised by the Pembroke community and Moviment Grafitti to show solidarity with the residents who once again is threatened with more large-scale development. Lauri insisted that the government is contradicting itself when it professes to want to use a Wellbeing Index to measure the success of the populace, invest 700 million euros in Project Green, and at the same time destroy natural open spaces. Lauri explained that after the monstrous DB project, the destruction of Moynihan House and Dolphin House as well as the ITS building, flanked by another monstrous project along the old Villa Rosa gardens, the last thing that these residents needed was another massive development. This shows great insensitivity on the part of the government which has its priorities all wrong.

Whilst the creation of new sports facilities is of great benefit, it is obvious that no effort was made to find an alternative site where this could be built. Lauri insisted that, once again, the government has found the easy way, which was to destroy more virgin land.

ADPD will keep on insisting on the following:

• To have the obsolete local plans revised and take into consideration the current state of land use today, and cancel any development which is not sustainable.
• Until the revision is made, to bring into force a moratorium on any large-scale buildings. This would give the country time to plan in a more measured and sustainable manner.

In the meantime, APDP is in complete solidarity with the Pembroke residents.

 Our country deserves to have a responsible and sustainable politics that respects the rights of today’s generations as well as the rights of future generations that have yet to enjoy what this country offers.