“Yes to sustainability and investment.”
“Commitment to sustainable development can only be shown by ensuring that all development is sustainable development.”
“Government is committed to and has the duty to ensure that serious consideration should be given to all alternative sites that may be suggested for the proposed new university.”
These are just some of the Twitter comments that I made a few days ago on the new university in the wake of the storm that erupted.
During the Tal Barkat media conference on May 13, I recalled that the previous government had approved school developments on ODZ land and that one must distinguish between speculation and an educational project. But I also said I would have been worried had the government declared everything to be cast in stone and that it was pushing ahead regardless.
On the contrary, the Prime Minister reassured one and all, me included, that he remains open to all well-thought out and viable options.
When pressed to state my position as Minister for Sustainable Development and the Environment, I said it would be ideal were the virgin land to remain untouched. I appealed for alternative sites to be placed on the scales while also declaring that I wanted to see this project succeed – both the university and the natural park – since I felt both would add value to the area.
I also said I would have been against a proposal for a real estate or land speculation development on ODZ land, but educational and social or health projects were another thing entirely.
In my quest for alternative sites, I have made it a point from day one to cascade, where it mattered, all suggestions received, even if some of them were not practical or even tended towards the outlandish.
One should distinguish between the proposal concept, the strategic government decision to have a natural park and a university in the south, the genuine environmental concerns of a number of people and those who might have their own reasons to opt for the status quo.
When I was opening a photographic exhibition at the Visitors’ Centre of the Majjistral Park a few days ago, I expressed the hope that the new nature park would be as much of a success story as Majjistral.
Ideally I would like the project to do away with ODZ in toto if it remains feasible
On a TV programme, I could not but notice that even the Opposition shadow minister admitted that ODZ land, rather than being ruled out, should after all be considered as a last resort, without specifying what these instances were.
This contrasts sharply with the Opposition leader’s earlier statement that any ODZ development would send one clear message, that nowhere is safe under this government and that all of Malta is a potential development site.
Ideally, I would like the project to do away with ODZ in toto if it remains feasible.
This is one highly valid reason why all stakeholders should be involved in the process of alternative site selection. These would be optimal terms of engagement that should hopefully satisfy all segments of Maltese society.
In the same way that studies have been carried out on the economic benefits of the project, one expects that serious independent environmental impact assessments are carried out too.
There should be an end to the days when conclusions of most EIAs happened to be foregone conclusions.
The Prime Minister has said the south can no longer be synonymous with polluting investment, going on to add that everything else beyond this principle is relative – whether it’s Marsascala or elsewhere in the south is open to question.
He even confirmed that he had commissioned another exercise on site selection “to see if we missed something out”.
The fact that no contracts have been signed, only heads of agreement, allows the government enough leeway to give serious consideration to options suggested by any stakeholders, itself included.
Quite a far cry from the fait accompli many have been speaking of.
At Tal Barkat I also expressed a commitment to ensure that in the final analysis, we should go for the most environmentally friendly proposal in the circumstances.
I had made my position clear a long time ago. I had been publicly against the proposed three coastal hotels project a few months ago, particularly in view of the inherent over-development and certain statements that had been made on biodiversity. The proposal, I understand, did not even muster the consensus of those who drew it up and never received the government’s endorsement.
Let us look ahead with an open mind, changing, tweaking and adjusting to maximise sustainability without allowing any in-built prejudices to get in the way of what could turn out to be a win-win situation.
Leo Brincat is the Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.