Environment groups are unimpressed by the Prime Minister’s “vague statements” on the location of a new university campus originally earmarked for Żonqor Point, in Marsascala.
But the groups also insisted yesterday that Joseph Muscat’s assertion that outside development zones had to sometimes be used for projects like hospitals was “unfounded”.
They were reacting to statements made by Dr Muscat during the last of a series of public consultation meetings by Cabinet members.
On Thursday, Dr Muscat said the government had a new proposal for the American University of Malta – proposed by Jordanian investors – that would see the campus split between Marsascala and a different location in the south.
“It will be better than the first proposal,” Dr Muscat said without elaborating. But the Prime Minister said he would ensure that building in ODZ areas would always be the last resort “but there were times when it might be necessary”.
The words failed to impress Michael Briguglio, founder of Front Ħarsien ODZ, which was set up in the wake of the Żonqor controversy. The Prime Minister was taking an extremist position if he believed that he needed to develop ODZ land to bring about investment, Dr Briguglio said.
“He is being very vague. We want to hear that Żonqor and ODZ areas are excluded.”
Dr Briguglio said it seemed like the Prime Minister was procrastinating the issue to drag it into the summer months and so avoid a parliamentary debate.
“We hope summer is not politicised by the Prime Minister,” Dr Briguglio said.
Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar coordinator Astrid Vella said NGOs had already submitted a study listing viable alternatives to show that ODZ land did not need to be resorted to.
Overdevelopment was undermining residents’ health and the tourism industry, which employed about 50,000 people and distributed revenue across a far wider section of the public than construction, which only employed 11,000, with the benefit going to the select few, she said.
“It is high time this message is also received,” Ms Vella said, urging the government to open its eyes and do the right thing. “Malta’s health, environment and economy depend on the good governance of our scant natural resources,”she added.
Maria Grazia Cassar, from Din l-Art Ħelwa, said that people were still waiting for the list of 100 proposed sites which Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg had referred to during a meeting of Parliament’s Environment Committee.
It was contradictory that the Prime Minister said the government had a new proposal in hand when Mr Buttigieg said the planning authority was looking at 100 sites.
“Let’s hope the government does not commit the same mistake as before by presenting people with a decision to which they would have to react. We need to be consulted. We have not been presented with different proposals,” she said.
Alternattiva Demokratika called upon Dr Muscat to stop playing with words and to clarify whether the idea of touching upon the nature park in Żonqor was scrapped.
The Nationalist Party insisted that no part of Żonqor should be touched as it would mean the government was ignoring the public outcry expressed during the biggest environmental protest ever held.
kim.dalli@timesofmalta.com