Two years after legislation was enacted to introduce the public domain concept, there is still no indication as to when the sites already proposed for protection will officially fall under the new law’s wing. Even though settling ownership issues that may be involved in some of the sites is not likely to be an easy task, it looks as if the first exercise is taking an inordinately long time to be concluded. Sad, indeed.
The problem is that, in the face of what must surely be the biggest ongoing assault on the environment ever, there is no time to lose to stem the inexorable slide towards greater national environmental degradation. As environmental organisations bravely fight every inch of the way in their battle to save the little that is left of the natural patrimony, brazen attempts continue to be made to encroach on outside development zones.
Besides these, there are plans for the building of nondescript high-rises that threaten to disfigure the skyline and applications for the conversion of typical old houses into ugly apartments and farmhouses into villas.
The urgency to move ahead with the public domain exercise can easily be understood on the basis of what has already been done to sites that clearly ought not to have been given out for development at all, such as, for example, the prime Qawra foreshore in the time of the Nationalist administration. An endless number of other similar examples can be given and, right now, yet another attempt is being made to nibble at another part of Wied Għomor. An application for the conversion of a cow farm into three office blocks has, quite justifiably, raised the ire of both the local council and environmental groups.
Has not enough damage been done to the valley already? The valley has not made it to the list proposed for public domain status but the NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar rightly thinks it should be. Even Environment Minister Josè Herrera has called for the valley to be included in the list.
However, to the dismay of all those who really care about the urgent need to safeguard areas that deserve immediate protection, the Planning Authority has said the request was made after a cut-off date and would have, therefore, to wait at least 12 months. Wied Għomor deserves to be given public domain status now, not after more attempts are made to destroy what is left of it.
On a positive note, the reclaiming by the government of the lease of a medieval settlement site in Simblija from private hands is most heartening. This was due, in large measure, to the work put in over the years by the Malta Ramblers’ Association for the restitution of the site to the public.
Close by to Simblija, a “private property” notice has been put up at the entrance to a pathway leading to Ta’ Baldu, a historical scheduled area. To add insult to injury, a wrought-iron gate has been installed at the other end of the pathway. It is time for the government to reclaim this pathway as well.
If Malta is to keep its identity, the fight to save what is left of the national patrimony has to go on, determindedly, without fear or favour.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial