I want to express my concern about the proposed shooting range in Mosta. The site chosen for this range, with its proximity to Mount St Joseph retreat house, defies any logic.

It makes no sense to site a noise-generating facility directly adjacent to an established retreat house, which has been operating for 50 years, and which is used by thousands of people every year; not only for spiritual purposes, but also for meetings, seminars, training, lectures or simply to get away from it all for a while.

What all the people who use the facilities at Mount St Joseph have in common is a search for a peaceful and silent environment.

This tranquillity will be shattered if a shooting range is constructed in such close proximity to this house.

No matter what sound-mitigating measures the developers may install, there is no way that these will contain all noise generated by the range as the technology capable of doing so and ensuring a degree of silence simply does not exist.

The proposed shooting range will also adversely affect Mosta residents, especially those living in the Żokrija area, and staff and students at the Marija Regina College. Noise levels in Malta are already unacceptably high in most places and the last thing we need is development which further contributes to noise.

It is well documented that excessive environmental noise adversely affects both mental and physical health.

Mount St Joseph offers space to anyone who needs to spend a few hours or a few days in a quiet environment away from the noise prevalent in our country, thus mitigating its effect. We need to ask ourselves what value we assign to silence, and what legacy we intend to leave subsequent generations.

Do we want to preserve the precarious handful of tranquil places we have left, or are we prepared to sacrifice all for short-term and dubious gain at great cost to the public and society in general?