Work on Lija private road starts under police protection

Dear friends....
when it comes to responsability it seems that MEPA is everbody but nobody ....everyone wants a job there (ax hemm il pappa) but everyone is afraid to show up his face............a contradiction by itself - an entity that commision enviromental studies, it is the backbone for enviromental policies (natura protection) and then by itself issue permits that are anti-enviromental .....AMAZING
Please wake up Dr Gonzi.....

Just a question.

Since this would be a private road, is it possible for the owner and his heirs to bind themselves in some form of contract to forfeit any right to seek damages from the factory in the event of an accident?

In a nutshell, if the owner is prepared to develop and used the road within the buffer zone at his own risk, would that be enough?

One wonders what Mepa stands for. Some builders make mistake on behalf of the speculators, they overbuild. MEPA starts barking and issues stopping commands and others. The issue takes some months or years; the speculators are made to resubmit plans, a paltry penalty, say two thousand euro, is made and fresh permits are issued. The speculator for a lottery ticket of two thousand euro might make a profit of one hundred thousand euro.
Water and elctricity are not supplied if the building is not secured with all windows and doors in place, never mind fix one or two windows and hey presto you are presented with the supply.

One Mepa one thousand different rules.

@ Josphine Fenech
2 big mistakes: The whole village suffered when it lost Twanny as a result of the Fireworks addiction. That was the scandal and nothing else.

I will never accept that Lija is hardcore PN. Infact it seems to be very liberal and flexible. Even MLP is very active and if I'm not mistaken AD had elected a councillor in Lija. Lija is made up of many open minded and avant garde people who are against the exaggeration caused by fireworks.

The Mayor of Lija may know the law as much as I know about hunting in Russia as a hobby. He seems to forget that it is unethical to meddle in affairs which do not pertain to his council. The piece of land is in Iklin so he must respect the basics of such boundaries. And please instead of trying to impress just stop and reflect: The loss of one life as a result of such anachronistic tradition is a loss too much. The Church and those who rightly oppose abortion must take stock of the situation and be consistent in favour of life and against such arrogant arguments.

...and the best part of MEPA is that they are paid high salaries to ruin the environment and break the laws.

Thumbs up for our almighty Lawrence Gonzi!!

Franco farrugia should stop insulting fireworks enthusiasts. He should be ashamed of himself in saying "if you want to indulge in this hobby which could very well make you end up in a ....". Shame on you. Always putting your nose where you know absolutely nothing!

Lija people should protest against this scandal. Why must a whole village suffer because 1 person cause perhaps he's got the strength of money. Mepa should be ashamed because they are ruining a country.s tradition. Already most of the traditions were lost. Knowing that we maltese should be proud of our pyrotechnics even other factories should protest cause it could be them next knowing how the Mepa is operating.
Mr Gonzi do not forget that Lija is a HARD CORE FOR THE PN. You should intervene because you never said a word about this problem before the general election

Who told u that Malta Is renowned of fireworks??? Are you living in the moon????? If you don't know Malta won the world championship of the fireworks festival in caput lucis thanks to St Mary fireworks of mqabba.More over certain factories send abroad some of their work because when foreigners come to malta they are amazed with our unique fireworks,...Some of them say that if u want to see something new you must go to malta....

As you said its my choice to choose this hobby and no one told me to do so but you also mentioned that you like fireworks and may be that you are in the front row watching fireworks....So be proud of the fireworks enthusiasts work that is bringing a lot of tourists in malta to see our unique fireworks shows without any costs.....

@ Mr Bajada - Well, it's your choice if you want to indulge in this hobby which could very well make you end up in a .
But you cannot expect that everyone should enjoy the fireworks.

You make lots of sacrifices - it is true. But, I, for one, never asked you to do so.

Who told you Malta is renowned for the fireworks?

Don't get me wrong: I like fireworks, but ... I hate exaggerations.

@ Franco Farrugia

The fireworks festival was there since 1925. All the villas were built after and they all knew that there was fireworks factory..If you dont like fireworks , itis your choice but dont try to make harm to our hobby which have a lot of sacrifices wthout being paid.......Remember Maltese fireworks make us known world wide...We should be proud......Lija eople keep on fighting......SHAME on you MEPA

In some years we will arrive that bird protectors will too start build roads everywere in the countryside so to limit also the hunting land available for there is a limit from were you can shot a bird legally. This is the arrogance of those who wants to destroy the traditions of many Maltese people by go around the laws to arrive to there purposes.

Now in few weeks Mr.Gafa for sure will ask the court to protect his house from possible firework risks and will end by Lija saying THE END for there great art work in the Maltese skies.

We is the change in direction of MEPA...I think the Prime Minister Dr.Gonzi must answer some question about MEPA and her ideas...people are getting amazed day after day...

I ask than were was MEPA when the Monument of Luqa was raised (I think that's the exact word), were was MEPA when some Local Councils placed billboards infront of Monuments as happened in Zebbug before the elections, or when small huts became great villas as happened in the limits of Siggiewi near Dar tal-Providenza...this is an amazing Malta Entertaiment Prism Association which needs clarifications

I don't understand the issue - surely use of this new private road is at your own risk and will be clearly signed? Wouldn't that solve the problem?

It would be worse if there was a dwelling within the blast zone rather than a rarely used road, wouldn't it?

The point is not whether it is right for Mr.Gafa to build the road or not but whether MEPA is right in issuing a permit to build a private road within the 183 meter buffer zone around the fireworks factory imposed by the law! MEPA had two options; either not issue the permit or else issue the permit and close the fireworks factory. At the moment we are in a situation where a valid permit was given to build a road within the 183 meter buffer zone which makes that road illegal even though the permit is there! The least MEPA can do is come clear and say why the permit was issued. The biggest question to be answered is whether this road is secure for anyone (including Mr.Gafa’s family) to walk on when it is within the 183 meter buffer zone. What if something happens? Who will be responsibility? MEPA? The Government? The Local Council? Mr.Gafa? who?

1. What I find scandalous is the fact that there was need for police protection. Or, that these so-called fireworks enthusiasts found it expedient to try and bodily stop Gafa from starting building this road.

2. Do we think that in tiny Malta, we are going to continue having these many fireworks factories????

3. Don't some people have work to do? 30 people looking on! Do these people go to work??

4. Conclusion: If some of you think that everyone in Malta and Gozo likes fireworks, you are wrong.

When are we to start realising the dangers of pyrotechnics. And for what cause??? Certainly, not for the saints that we're blasting out of the skies!

Welcome to the circus,
Can anybody out there help to solve the following equation.

Mepa irregularities are equal to multi level corruption?

Now where is the Prime Minister, maybe he can solve this as MEPA is under his responsibilty or not?

Equated bananas?

Who said That he is taking MEPA under his strong hands ? Was this an election Bluff ?
Shame on you MEPA ....

@ Anthony Mercieca - If you want this land buy it yourself. But you should not be permitted to build over it. There is a clear danger. The same happened at the Gas plant in Qajjenza when Lorry Sant issued illegal permits for land NEAR the gas plant. God forbid if ever there is an accident. Same for Ic-Caqnu. Building a Gas Plant in the precints of a fireworks factory. It's shameful. Mr Mercieca the Mayor of lija does not need your advice. He knows the law more than you do.

@ MEPA

MEPA permits issued in 2007 and before should be revisited to ensure not just that there were no irregularities when these were issued but also to ensure that it is clearly seen that there were no irregularities

Without going into the merits of this particular case, I believe pyrothecnics should acquire proprty covering the necessary distances to manufacture explosives. If this was my property I wouldn't care less and want it money's worth. Solution Mr. Mayor buy out the area.

I sincerely hope that one day Mr Gafa would not have reason to complain that this fireworks factory is too close to his Villa... and as far as I know MEPA permits are usually valid for a number of years... Is this particular still valid if it was issued in 2003?

This is another confirmation of how MEPA works. It's absolutely scandalous. The fireworks factory has been situated there since 1925. All the Villas and houses were built many years after. How could MEPA issue such a permit ? Is this how we were promised MEPA should work? I hope someone intervenes.

Did someone ever think that a fireworks factory could stop further development when ODZ and protected land could not. MEPA with a pair of strong hands to allow further destruction.

Give them hell Mayor Castaldi. MEPA ought to be ashamed of itself for granting this obscene permit, near a fireworks factory. Do they think that SOMEDAY, someone will remove the fireworks factory from its present premises? let them think twice. Should an accident happen, due to MEPA's decision, they should claim damages from the MEPA Board, personally, which approved this scandalous permit. Where is the Minister responsible for MEPA? And shame on the Police for protecting those who are manifestly breaking the law.