ADPD-The Green Party welcomes the public discussion around the future of the White Rocks site and its potential transformation into a public park. At nearly the same size as the Buskett woodland, this area represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Malta to invest in large-scale ecological restoration rather than repeat the mistakes of the past. It is pertinent to point out that our party has long opposed land speculation and the commercialisation of the site. White Rocks is also adjacent to the Pembroke Natura 2000 site. This should mean proper and professional ecological restoration of White Rocks.  

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci and official and spokesperson Mark Zerafa said: However, we are deeply concerned by the lack of clarity on what the government aims to achieve from this project. It is worrying that some stakeholders appear to favour a formal, highly designed space dominated by hard landscaping and cementification. Such an approach would undermine the very purpose of creating a park at White Rocks and would squander the site’s enormous potential to restore biodiversity, strengthen ecological resilience, and provide genuine nature-based benefits to present and future generations.

A park of this scale must not be reduced to paved paths, ornamental planting, and infrastructure-heavy design. What Malta urgently needs is proper ecological restoration. It is indeed shameful that large scale ecological projects are few and far between, most of them thanks to the efforts of NGOs and volunteers.

We call for a comprehensive restoration plan led by ecological restoration experts, including ecologists, environmental scientists, and specialists with proven experience in ecological restoration. We urge authorities to immediately invest in local plant nurseries, including those of NGOs, to grow trees, shrubs, and flora sourced from local genetic stock, ensuring resilience, adaptability, and the preservation of Malta’s unique biodiversity. Active involvement of existing organisations and initiatives already working in flora propagation, habitat restoration, and environmental conservation, whose expertise should be central to this project. It is also an opportunity to develop jobs with a positive impact on the country’s environment.

ADPD-The Green Party strongly warns against the large-scale importation of flora. While there is scope for importation of certain types of flora for their re-introduction into the local environment, wholesale importation without any planning undermines local ecosystems and ignores the importance of genetic suitability to Malta’s climate and conditions. Ecological restoration is not a quick fix; it requires time, planning, and patience. For this reason, investment must begin immediately, even if visible results will take years to mature.

White Rocks should become a living ecosystem, not a manicured showcase. If done right, it can stand alongside Buskett as a vital green lung for Malta, a refuge for biodiversity, and a powerful symbol of a national shift towards environmental responsibility.

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White Rocks: Opportunità Unika Għal Riġenerazzjoni Ekoloġika Professjonali 

ADPD-The Green Party jilqa’ b’sodisfazzjon id-diskusjoni pubblika dwar il-futur tal-White Rocks u l-possibilita’ li din tinbidel f’park pubbliku. Il-firxa ta’ din l-art hija ftit anqas mid-daqs tal-Buskett, u hija opportunità unika għal Malta li tinvesti f’riġernazzjoni ekoloġika. Huwa f’waqtu li nfakkru li l-partit minn dejjem kien kontra li dan is-sit jingħata għall-ispekulazzjoni tal-art u l-kummerċjalizazzjoni. Il-White Rocks huwa wkoll biswit sit importanti Natura 2000 f’Pembroke u allura perfett għal restawr ekoloġiku kif titlob is-sengħa u x-xjenzi ekoloġiċi. 

Sandra Gauci, Chairperson tal-partit u l-kelliem u uffiċċjal ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Mark Zerafa qalu: Minkejja dan, aħna mħassbin sew għaliex mhux ċar x’inhu l-għan ta’ dan il-proġett. Huwa tat-tħassib li nies li għandhom interess f’dan il-proġett qegħdin jipproponu spazju formali, b’dehra artifiċjali u miksi bis-siment. Dan imur kontra l-għan ewlieni li jinħoloq park fil-White Rocks u jtellef il-potenzjal qawwi tas-sit sabiex nirristawraw il-biodiversità, insaħħu r-reżiljenza ekoloġika u li noħolqu benefiċċi msejsin fuq in-natura, kemm għalina u kif ukoll għal ġenerazzjonijiet futuri. 

Park bħal dan m’għandux jiġi ridott għal passaġġi artifiċjali, pjanti ornamentali, u strutturi bis-siment u l-konkos. Hemm bżonn urġenti ta’ restawr ekoloġiku. Hija tal-mistħija kif proġetti kbar ta’ riġenerazjoni ekoloġika huma ftit, u ħafna minnhom huma  biss frott il-ħidma ta’ NGOs u voluntiera. 

ADPD-The Green Party issejjaħ għal pjan ta’ riġenerazzjoni sħiħ, immexxi minn esperti fil-qasam. Hemm bżonn pjan imfassal minn xjenzati ekoloġiċi ambjentali li jaħdmu id f’id ma’ speċjalisti  b’esperjenza fir-restawr ekoloġiku. Inħeġġu lill-awtoritajiet sabiex jinvestu f’faċilitajiet ta’ tkabbir tal-pjanti, anke dawk tal-NGOs sabiex inkabbru siġar, arbuxxelli u ħxejjex mkabbrin minn sorsi lokali. Anki faċilitajiet kummerċjali involuti għandhom ikunu marbutin ikabbru lokalment minflok jimportaw bl-addoċċ. B’hekk insaħħu r-reżiljenza b’ekosistemi li kapaċi jaddattaw u nippreservaw il-bijodiversità unika ta’ Malta. Jinħoloq ukoll aktar xogħol f’qasam importanti għall-ambjent ta; pajjiżna. 

ADPD-The Green Party jwissi bil-qawwa kontra l-importazzjoni ta’ pjanti mingħajr l-ippjanar meħtieġ, għax dan  jista’ jkun ta’ ħsara għall-ekosistemi lokali. Filwaqt li nifhmu li hemm lok għall-importazzjoni ta’ xi pjanti u flora sabiex nintroduċuhom mill-ġdid fl-ambjent lokali tagħna, ma nistgħux ninjoraw il-ħtieġa li dawn għandhom ikunu ġenetikament addattati għall-klima u l-kundizzonijiet ambjentali ta’ Malta. Ir-restawr ekoloġiku ma jistax isir ta’ malajr u kif ġie ġie. Hemm bżonn ta’ żmien, pjanar u paċenzja. Għalhekk, l-investiment għandu jibda minnufih, anke jekk iridu jgħaddu snin sabiex ingawdu r-riżultat.

Il-White Rocks għandu jinbidel f’ekosistema ħajja. Mhux biżżejjed li nieħdu biss ħsieb id-dehra. Jekk naħdmu bil-għaqal, il-White Rocks jista’ jinbidel f’pulmun aħdhar ewlieni, bħalma hu l-Buskett; rifuġju għall-bijodiversità u sinjal qawwi ta’ mixja lejn responsabbilità ambjentali.