The Nationalist Party was out in full force this morning to oppose the use of pristine outside development land for the university in the south project.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was flanked by shadow ministers, MPs and councillors from various councils in the south as he addressed a news conference on the project in Marsascala.

He said that while the Opposition welcomed the investment, it strongly opposed the use of pristine land.

Dr Busuttil appealed to non-governmental organisations and civil society to raise their voice against abuse of ODZ land and said they were alternative sites that could be used for the building of acampus.

These included the former St Luke’s Hospital in Pieta and the Old Petroleum Division in Birzebbuga, which could be regenerated in the same way the former Ricasoli Industrial Estate had been regenerated and transformed into Smart City.

Praising the work of the independent media, he also referred to the farmers’ fear that they would lose their livelihood, noting that The Sunday Times of Malta had exposed they had not even been consulted.

On the planning authority, he said that although its task was to protect ODZ areas, it was the one which identified ODZ land for this project.

“How can Mepa be impartial in this process if it was the one to identify the area. Mepa has become a rubber stamp for government abuse. It is not more than a government department under the Office of the Prime Minister. It does what Joseph Muscat tells it to do," Dr Busuttil said.

In a statement later, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said it did not agree with the use of St Luke's for the university.

It said it was informed the hospital was to play an important role in the improvement of health services in line with a plan aimed to a increased services and beds.