On the outskirts of Mosta, near Cumbo Tower, ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, and Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia, once again spoke about the use of agricultural land for development. This time the proposal being presented is to have around 40,000 square metres of agricultural land transformed into a residential zone with a three-story building.
“Nine years ago, we were here,” said the ADPD-The Green Party speakers. “On that day, together with residents of the area, we made it clear that this land should not be developed.”
Nine years ago, the Planning Authority had heard the call of the land and turned down the application made to have it developed. Next Tuesday, the Planning Authority is considering a new application, not much different from the application that was made nine years ago.
Nine years ago, the Planning Authority gave us some hope that such development would not be allowed. Unfortunately, over these past nine years, the Planning Authority has taken many decisions that have contributed to the destruction of more and more agricultural land in various localities.
This can all be traced to the decision taken by Parliament in 2006, when two million square metres of land outside development zone (ODZ) was marked for development. At that time, the Labour Opposition had voted against this destruction. Today, instead of being consistent with the political position it took when in Opposition, it is now keen on the destruction of such land.
This is in glaring contrast to the electoral pledge to invest €700 million in the creating and maintenance of green spaces accessible to the public. Instead of spending €700 million in this manner, it would have been a much wiser decision for the government to protect the public spaces that nature has gifted us: these need to be protected from the rabid greed that has grown from the unbridled development that has taken over this country.
ADPD – The Green Party said it is the only political party in Malta that has regularly emphasised the need for the cancellation of the rationalisation exercise without delay in every manifesto to be cancelled. This is the political objective of all who believe in the need to protect the environment to improve the quality of our lives.
The land in Ta’ Durumblat is not the only area facing this fate, the party said. There are swathes of agricultural land spread across the island in the same situation. We stand with the residents and the associations of residents who continually speak about the need for public spaces accessible to the public. If we want to be serious about public spaces and their protection, we need to begin with the protection of agricultural land from any development.