Six NGOs oppose Ghadira project

Six environment non-governmental organisations expressed their opposition to the recently proposed TEN-T road project in Ghadira.

The NGOs - Din L-Art Helwa, Nature Trust (Malta), Birdlife Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Light Pollution Awareness Group and Ramblers Association stated that the proposed project would have a major negative impact on the environment with regards to the habitats of the protected site such as garigue and steppe habitats, the biodiversity including the birds that breed and rest at the Ghadira Nature Reserve and the Foresta 2000 site, through increased light and noise pollution in the currently undisturbed area. The organisations also expressed their concerns about the possible impact on water resources in the area.

They said that following the government's recent statements that the environment wasa priority for this legislature, this road project wasa major retreat on the nature conservation pledge in the Maltese islands since it was announced that this project would be given the fast track, the NGOs charged.

The environmental groups stated that they felt that government was acting in a crisis management attitude and wanted to take a decision based on the fact that it would lose structural funds. This went against principals of EU funding when Natura 2000 sites could be at risk of being damaged with EU funded projects.

The NGOs noted that none of the organisations have been consulted on any of the five alternatives presented. They insisted it was the ministry's duty to prove the need for a new road when there wasno existing traffic problems with the current one.

The argument that moving the road further in, wouldhelp save the sand dunes needed to be proved by further studies, including coastal modelling ones, such as the ones used by MTA to identify coastal sites for beach nourishment, since the replenishment process would still be cut off by the new road, they said

The NGOs called upon the Prime Minister to act cautiously on such projects as the environment is at stake.