Bahar ic-Caghaq campers to petition the government
Campers at Bahar ic-Caghaq this evening agreed to draw up a petition asking the government to designate an area for an official camping site.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Safari Camping Club held in the wake of an announcement yesterday that the campers were being given 48 hours to move from the site they currently occupy.
Club secretary Athilio Montebello expressed his disappointment over the way things were done, saying that although the club had in the past corresponded with the authorities, the first time they learnt about the eviction orders was when they found notices pasted on their caravan doors.
He acknowledged that there was abuse by some people who had built fixed structures on the land without title, but said the club's members had mobile caravans equipped with the necessary sanitary facilities.
He said the club had sent an e-mail to the Prime Minister asking for a clarification of the situation. A meeting with Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi, who is responsible for public land, will be held in late October.
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Charles Camilleri
Oct 1st 2008, 17:27
Come Hon J. Azzopardi you are doing a fine job. Remove these squatters from our land. Individuals have even the audacity to ask thousands of Euros for the their plot. It is funny is it. They steal our land and they protest when the Govt ask it back. If they want to enjoy the sea they should pay like the rest of us and not have our land for free.
Tonio Bugeja
Oct 1st 2008, 13:07
To the minister or parlamentarty secretary I say- your action is popular and you will earn good points by taking the bull by wherever it takes. The comments on this and other issues shows that the decent folk are not pleased wiht the lot who take the loaw in their hands and make theirs what is not. They should next tackle the arrogant business ownrs who designated the front of their shops for their own use and threaten burning brimstone to whoever trespasses on it. Ramblers wake up and give the secretary thumbs up and indicate where these places are so that we get them back. In Cannon Road, a business has even had the cheek to paint the road to reserve it for his customers to park. We are tired of this arrogance! When are these cowboys going to be tackled ? we are happy spectators!
Kevin Tanti
Oct 1st 2008, 08:29
I wish to ask Mr Montebello how much they pay p.a rent to the government. If it is public land, they should be removed. And if that area will come a camping site, every maltese citizen should be given the chance to camp there. Just one question to ask: The mobile caravans, are really mobile or they stay there all year round.? Well done minister: give the people what is public. After Bahar ic-Caghak check also other sites
Joe Micallef
Oct 1st 2008, 08:08
Disgusting! I really would like to know on which parameters they can describe their shanty, asbestos laden, utterly disgusting and sanitary wise precarious setups, with the term caravans. A caravan area, worth the title, comes with a lot of conditions - conditions which these squatters are light years away from.
The land they occupy, which they turn into a slum area, can be developed into a wonderful land marine nature park with very little construction for the enjoyment of masses.
Tonio Bugeja
Oct 1st 2008, 08:01
When I saw this morning Times issue, I was prompted to look it on line and put some comments. Well, the backpage on the times looks like a picture in down town china., Bangladesh or Bankok and a couple of nude children playing in the mud would have said it all! I say clean this mess up! Well, if they can`t afford a decent place they should not get one at the expense of decent citizens who do not dream of owning this disgrace. And now a word to the authorities- Don`t you dare hand off any of our hard earned Taxes to these squatters to "compensate" them. Bulldoze down everything and if they cannot afford a decent summer boathouse dont get one on us! Welldone to the boys who got the guts to deal with these messing lot. We- decent , law abiding citizens are behind you four square. and one other thing- the clean the tables/chairs act says a lot of things. Abusers do not fear the autorities- they believe they are gutless and that is why they take them with a pinch of salt and ignore the notices. Enforcement and fines is the way!
Ray Camilleri
Oct 1st 2008, 08:00
I have nothing against campers, but camping does not mean living in fixed structures. Government should pull down the lot, designate areas where MOBILE caravans can go. Supply sight with electricity and drainage and lease them on very short term periods ensuring that users do not become propriotors of the land. During teh maintenance period no caravans should be seen on the sight and it would be a form of income for government or council. It would also create a niche tourist market.
Failing this one will only be promoting squatters who take government/public land to become their's at the expense of teh law abiding citizens.
J Farrugia
Oct 1st 2008, 07:42
Come hard down on these squatters. Give us back OUR LAND. The government should never talk with illegal squatters. Just take appropriate action and get the police to evict these squatters. They have no right. Not even the armier ones. The government has better stand fast against these arrogant people.
Ramon Casha
Oct 1st 2008, 06:38
I'd like to petition the government to make them pay rent backdated to when they started illegally occupying public land.
AND evict them of course.
Nigel Lawrence
Oct 1st 2008, 05:45
On reflection, those ugly blocks of flats on the ridge don't co the scenery any favours either.
Nigel Lawrence
Oct 1st 2008, 05:43
Squatters rule, OK?
D. MANGION
Sep 30th 2008, 23:17
Dr. Jason Azzopardi,
Clear Bahar ic-Caghaq from these squatters and I'll promise you that come next election you'll be on my vote, no matter what. That's a promise.
Benjamin Pule`
Sep 30th 2008, 23:12
All the way Dr. Jason Azzopardi ...
John Schembri
Sep 30th 2008, 23:06
They squatted there for so many years , now its my turn! NO?
joe attard
Sep 30th 2008, 22:22
let's look forward to a cleaner enviorenment. can't wait until the area is landscaped again to be enjoyed by all.
Antoine Vella (Balzan)
Sep 30th 2008, 22:19
I bet €5 that Joseph Muscat will criticise the government for this. Anyone willing to accept the wager?
O Mallia
Sep 30th 2008, 22:05
About 2 years ago, one of the sites owned by a taxi lady, was asking LM 3000 to sell it.
D. A . Agius
Sep 30th 2008, 22:01
The government really has never issued a public report stating which land is public and which is private as well as which land is leased by the government and the full details of rentals. That is transperency.
Since technically, all government land is actually owned by the public, we'd surely appreciate a full system so that a person may learn who' who's the land, and the public itself may report to the government which land is being used by squatters and thus identify which are the lands that the public urges the return it to public use immediately.
At the moment, government is just picking up on a few, whilst we do not know if other people are also abusing of the last 40 years' worth of a Maltese Government lack of interest in ensuring public ownership of public land. It would show which big or small boys have been abusing of OUR land nad that way, the public itself may require that the adequate compensation is tendered or action is effected.
Serious governments should consider this. Mr. Gonzi, do you a serious government?
That way, we'll
P. Camilleri
Sep 30th 2008, 21:24
Yeah right Mr. Montebello.....! Where would you prefer, Madliena or High Ridge ? You should ask your squatter partners to pay for what they took from us Maltese citizens for the past 20 years! I tried to drive in that area last year and one of your squatter partners told me of course according to him that was a private area!!!! Get off our land and go buy yourself a beach house like all other decent fellow citizens do, and not take what's not yours.....
Wilfred L Camilleri
Sep 30th 2008, 21:03
It is amusing to read that the campers want the area designated as an official camping site. These campers parked their caravans and tents on public land without first seeking permission to do so. Asking the government to approve the status quo after the fact is laughable. I admit that Malta does not have an abundance of camping facilities but the club should lobby the government to set up camping facilities before they go and occupy public land. This means that: a) access to the camping facility would be controlled through the issuance of permits (for a reasonable fee) that limit the stay; b) access to and use of such sites would be controlled and monitored; and c) appropriate facilities (sanitation, showering, electrical power, etc.) would be made available as part of the facility. I’m sure that if this was the case no one would object. Lack of control and prior approval is what leads to situation where people build permanent structures and assume that they have the God given right to occupy public land at their will and for however long they wish to do so.
Charles Micallef
Sep 30th 2008, 20:43
It will be very interesting to find out the outcome!
P Muscat
Sep 30th 2008, 20:05
Shame! You have been abusively occupying that land for years, built platforms and other structures. You also acted as if the land was yours, at times asking for compensation to sell or negotiate the area to interested buyers.
You do not deserve any mercy. Pack and leave please.
j Borg
Sep 30th 2008, 19:48
It's incredible....first you take public land...no one bothers to remove you from there...find some kind hearted soul to furnish you with comodities....but still you are a squatter...then when a Minister decides that enough is enough...you go crying in front of the Prime Minister becausew you might be claiming that you have a right to occupy that land....the probem is not the squatters but all the previous Ministers and parliamentary secs who had allowed all this to go on for such a long time....that area has been extending itself annually ever since the first squatters set foot...one can easily look up all the aerial photos avialble and will easily notice how it developed over time....SHAME..thumbs up Jason you are doing a sterling job...it is about time that someone stands up and be counted
Charles sammut
Sep 30th 2008, 19:34
"Club secretary Athilio Montebello expressed his disappointment over the way things were done"
These people have squatted on public land without title and without paying rent.
But I don't blame them. They will be rewarded for their audaciousness. That's the way things are done in Malta and they have every right to exploit the situation.
Tony Caruana
Sep 30th 2008, 19:32
Bahar ic-Caghaq is another shanty town. Another place spoilt by greedy squatters. If they want to enjoy their CARAVANS they should buy their own land !!
D Fenech
Sep 30th 2008, 19:23
instead of giving them a permanent site they, and the other lot at Armier should be told to dismantle and give us back our public property
Claire Bonello
Sep 30th 2008, 19:13
Well, what did we expect? If the Armier boathouses are given the go-ahead just before the election, all other squatters are going to expect the same treatment