Meeting with caravan owners not linked to removal, Azzopardi insists
The meeting scheduled for October 21 between the Parliamentary Secretary for Land, Jason Azzopardi, and the Safari Camping Club to discuss the caravan site at Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq was not intended to postpone the removal of the structures from the site, Dr Azzopardi insisted yesterday.
The government last week gave caravan owners at Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq 48 hours to remove their caravans from the site. Bulldozers and cranes showed up at the site on Friday morning and began carrying away caravans on trailers and clearing permanent structures and concrete platforms.
Dr Azzopardi noted yesterday that, in their comments about the issue, some caravan owners mistakenly gave the "implicit impression" that the government was going ahead with the removal action despite a meeting scheduled with the Safari Camping Club, representing caravan owners.
When initially approached by a member of the club, Dr Azzopardi explained, he was not told that he would be meeting the club itself but rather an honorary member of the club, Vince Perry, who originally requested the meeting on September 30. "He never wrote or said that he was writing on behalf of an association," Dr Azzopardi insisted.
He said it was only last Thursday that he was informed by Mr Perry that present for the meeting would also be the president and general secretary of the club. Dr Azzopardi said he had no problem whatsoever meeting with the Safari Camping Club to discuss the issue. However, he said the meeting was scheduled irrespective of the removal action planned for Friday morning and that he had made it clear that the meeting would in no way postpone the removal action.
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J Farrugia
Oct 7th 2008, 08:12
time will come when even the armier boathouses will be removed. Mark my words and no protest marches will hold the government to ransom. Very soon, very soon. The march has just started and the people will get back what is theirs by right . And the squatters will get a kick in their behind to move away from their illgotten gain.
Charles Camilleri
Oct 6th 2008, 16:30
Please stop calling it a caravan site. Caravan sites are not built of concrete bricks.
A. Camilleri
Oct 6th 2008, 16:12
In Malta one also 'camps' in what are classified as 'boathouses'. Wow! And with air-conditioners and all. Wow! At last we might be seeing some sort of 'law enforcement'. Squatters all over the place, watch out, Jason is coming! Prosit, and well done.
anna ellul
Oct 6th 2008, 14:34
Its classic isn't it - you let them stay for a bit, even make their stay comfortable and then they have all these expectations. They should just thank their lucky stars that they have been allowed to stay for so long and be grateful for what they have enjoyed at the expense of the rest of us.
Take a drive to Armier and you'll see how many 4x4s are parked there and other pricey cars. Not to mention the ACs. I've even seen one of the 'tenants' at Gnejna walk an Alaskan mahmut!
In any case, whatever the income levels of these people and their life-style, the principle is the same - the land belongs to us all and we should all be able to enjoy it in its natural form.
Rita Spiteri
Oct 6th 2008, 12:49
Yes but in Malta we are special we even have satellite dishes on our camps we are so progressive you see
Saviour Sam Agius
Oct 6th 2008, 11:10
What sort of camping is this? I've been camping for quite a long time but I've never seen real campers using concrete to make permanent structures on the site... I thought camping involved a camp or a tent...