The Gozo tunnel and airport is in the news again. ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson and candidate on Districts 4 and 9 Carmel Cacopardo said: ”The Nationalist Party – in its common quest with the Labour Party to be ‘everything to everyone’ and to continue the destruction of the little that is left of Gozo and Malta have once again, with lots of bombast by Bernard Grech, promised to continue Minister Ian Borg’s and Prime Minister’s Robert Abela white elephant Gozo tunnel project. Similar to Labour and to GonziPN Bernard Grech, not happy with ‘only’ a polluting, destructive tunnel he also promised an airport in Gozo. It is never enough for PLPN, despite fast ferry services – which can be improved such as providing connections to other landing sites in Malta – they want a tunnel and airport on a tiny island. Get real! This is nuts! Bernard Grech and his party must be suffering from a severe bout of megalomania. Let’s us all accept that we live in a small, overdeveloped country with limited space and short distances – yes, even between Malta and Gozo.”

“Bernard Grech, like Labour – they are the same in all but name on many issues – are hiding the real implications of such a project. It seems to me that he is resorting to populistic methods just to give the impression that he will deliver – even if the wrong things,  at all costs, on the eve of an election. Bernard Grech and Robert Abela will deliver more traffic, more pollution, a useless airport in Gozo for the rich, and more environmental destruction and the deterioration of our quality of life.”

ADPD – The Green party candidate on the 12th and 13th Districts, Luke Caruana said: ”It is by now clear that the proposed tunnel entrances will be, most probably, below the Kenuna Tower in Nadur and in the Għerien area between Mellieħa and St. Paul’s Bay, on the outskirts of Manikata. Both areas are of ecological importance to Malta and Gozo and situated in our prime rural areas. On the Malta end, the tunnel entrance will have disastrous impacts since the area is home to that part of the water table which is least polluted on the islands. In fact, not so long ago, plans for a golf course in the area were discarded for a multitude of reasons.

Meanwhile, Ta’ Kenuna in Nadur is primarily an agricultural zone with an ecology which requires protection. Apart from the environmental destruction, there are other consequences that will be brought about. Air quality will deteriorate due to a substantial increase in vehicle emissions. In addition noise and light pollution will be introduced to these practically pristine areas.

It would be also wrong to assume that a project of such a massive scale will not bring about adverse consequences to the surrounding areas. It will lead to wider roads to sustain the new traffic flow, more car-service stations will be considered ‘necessary’ and so on. What do the local councils in the nearby localities have to say about this, as the quality of life for people residing in these two localities will be severely impaired?

A useless airport is also an ecologically disastrous because, not only will it be developed on agricultural land, but it will have negative impacts in terms of noise, pollution and ancillary development such as parking spaces and roads. Perhaps the airstrip lobby can explain who will foot the bill to fund such a development if not through massive state subsidies. The airstrip lobby can also perhaps explain the cost of tickets to use such transport. I honestly cannot see what the community will gain from such a development. A multitude of small islands in Europe with niche activities and their particular touristic attractions, do not have their own airport or indeed tunnel and still manage to thrive.

Gozo needs an economic plan based on SMEs in various sectors, and niche activities which generate wellbeing without the destruction of people’s quality of life. A vote for PLPN is a vote in favour of business as usual. Do not be an accomplice, refuse to show them your support. Upset them and vote for ADPD – The Green Party.”

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Mina u ajruport f’Għawdex – dan ġenn!

Il-mina u l-ajruport f’Għawdex reġgħu fl-aħbarijiet. Iċ-Chairperson u kandidat tal-ADPD fuq ir-raba’ u d-disa’ distrett, Carmel Cacopardo qal: ”Il-Partit Nazzjonalista – li bħall-Partit Laburista irid ikun ‘kollox għal kulħadd’, qed iwiegħed li se jkompli l-qerda tal-ftit li fadal f’Għawdex u f’Malta u għal darb’oħra, b’ħafna pompa Bernard Grech, wiegħed li se jkompli l-proġett tal-mina ta’ Għawdex, tal-Ministru Ian Borg u tal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela. Bħal-Labour u bħal GonziPN, Bernard Grech, mhux kuntent b’mina li tniġġes u li teqred l-ambjent ‘biss’ iżda wiegħed ukoll ajruport f’Għawdex. Qatt mhu biżżejjed għall-PLPN, minkejja s-servizzi ta’ fast ferry – li jistgħu jitjiebu bħal per eżempju b’konnessjonijiet ma’ postijiet oħra f’Malta – iridu mina u ajruport fuq gżira ċkejkna. Intom tafu x’qed tgħidu jew? Dan huwa ġenn! Bernard Grech u l-partit tiegħu qed isofru minn attakk qawwi ta’ megalomanija. Ejja lkoll naċċettaw li ngħixu f’pajjiż żgħir, żviluppat żżejjed bi spazju limitat. Pajjiż b’distanzi qosra – iva, anke bejn Malta u Għawdex id-distanzi huma żgħar immens.”

“Bernard Grech u l-Partit Nazzjonalista, bħal-Labour qed jaħbu l-implikazzjonijiet reali ta’ proġetti bħal dawn. Qed jirrikorru għal metodi populistiċi biss biex jagħtu l-impressjoni li se jagħmlu ‘xi ħaġa’ lejlet elezzjoni. Dik ix-‘xi ħaġa’ ta’ Bernard Grech u Robert Abela se jwasslu aktar traffiku, aktar tniġġis, ajruport inutli f’Għawdex għas-sinjuri, u aktar qerda ambjentali t-tkissir tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna. Aħjar ma’ tagħmlu xejn mill-ewwel!”

Il-kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fit-tnax u t-tlettax-il Distrett, Luke Caruana qal: ”Jidher ċar li d-daħliet tal-mina proposta se jkunu, aktarx, taħt it-Torri Kenuna fin-Nadur u fiż-żona tal-Għerien bejn il-Mellieħa u San Pawl il-Baħar, fil-periferija tal-Manikata. Iż-żewġ żoni huma ta’ importanza ekoloġika għal Malta u Għawdex u jinsabu fiż-żoni rurali ewlenin tagħna. Fit-tarf ta’ Malta, id-daħla tal-mina se jkollha impatti diżastrużi peress li ż-żona fiha dik il-parti tal-ilma tal-pjan li hija l-inqas imniġġsa fil-gżejjer Maltin. Filfatt, xi żmien ilu pjanijiet għal korsa tal-golf fiż-żona ġew skartati għal għadd kbir ta ‘raġunijiet.

Sadanittant, Ta’ Kenuna fin-Nadur hija primarjament żona agrikola b’ekoloġija li teħtieġ protezzjoni. Apparti l-qerda ambjentali, hemm konsegwenzi oħra. Il-kwalità tal-arja se teħżien minħabba żieda sostanzjali fl-emissjonijiet tal-vetturi. Barra minn hekk se jkun hemm tniġġis bl-istorbju u dawl f’dawn iż-żoni prattikament verġni.

Ikun żbaljat ukoll li wieħed jassumi li proġett ta’ daqs daqshekk enormi mhux se jġib konsegwenzi ħżiena għaż-żoni tal-madwar. Dan se jwassal għal toroq usa’ biex isostnu ż-żieda fit-traffiku, aktar pompi tal-petrol jew service stations għall-karozzi u aktar bini u żvilupp. X’għandhom xi jgħidu dwar dan il-kunsilli lokali fil-lokalitajiet fil-viċin, peress li l-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-persuni li joqogħdu f’dawn iż-żewġ lokalitajiet se titnaqqar?

Ajruport inutli huwa wkoll ekoloġikament diżastruż għax, mhux biss se jkun żviluppat fuq art agrikola, iżda se jkollu impatti negattivi f’termini ta’ storbju, tniġġis u żvilupp anċillari bħal spazji ta’ parkeġġ u toroq. L-iskuża tal-gvern li l-art hija mitluqa ma treġix – għax tista’ tiġi rijabilitata faċilment. Forsi l-lobby tal-airstrip jista’ jispjega jekk hux qed jippretendi sussidji kbar mit-taxxi tagħna. Il-lobby tal-airstrip jista’ forsi wkoll jispjega l-ispiża tal-biljetti biex tivvjaġġa d-distanza redikola minn Għawdex sal-Gudja bl-ajruplan. Onestament ma nistax nara x’se tikseb il-komunità minn żvilupp bħal dan. Għadd kbir ta’ gżejjer żgħar fl-Ewropa b’attivitajiet ekonomiċi partikolari u bl-attrazzjonijiet turistiċi partikolari tagħhom, m’għandhomx l-ajruport jew tabilħaqq mina tagħhom u xorta jirnexxilhom jirnexxu.

Għawdex għandu bżonn pjan ekonomiku bbażat fuq SMEs f’diversi setturi, u attivitajiet niċċa li jiġġeneraw benesseri mingħajr qerda tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies. Vot għall-PLPN huwa vot favur business as usual. Tkunx kompliċi, Irrifjuta li ttihom l-appoġġ tiegħek. Ivvota lil ADPD għax Xkupa Ħadra Tnaddaf.”