|
Matthew Vella
The newly founded environmental lobby Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar yesterday led 19 organisations into Valletta in a veritable display of dissatisfaction at the loss of quality of life for the Maltese and Gozitans.
Astrid Vella, whose militancy over the preservation of Sliema developed into the fledgling lobby group, yesterday led a national movement of over 500 protestors who brought every single environmental concern facing the islands to the attention of the public and politicians.
She sternly told protestors that “our quality of life can no longer be sold to developers.”
The group launched a petition that will be presented to the European Commission and Maltese MPs to signal their protest at the state of the environment in the Maltese islands.
Attended by members and officials from all three parties, the rally comes in the wake of controversial proposals to include new land for construction and development.
Vella yesterday clearly sounded out a warning to political parties by saying the environment and quality of life of Maltese and Gozitans had to be treated as a national issue. She pointed out the unrestrained building was taking place in Malta which “politicians with lack of vision and total short-sightedness are considering progress.”
“The quality of our lives is deteriorating… Overnight, people find themselves living in a building site and having to spend a long time living with unacceptable levels of noise and dust, as well as damage to their homes, danger to their health and sometimes even to their lives. This is contributing to many health problems, including the highest rate of asthma among children in Mediterranean countries.”
The FAA were joined by several groups each fighting their own environmental battles on some part of the islands. Vella hailed the groups from Gozo who had attended the rally to protest against the impending tourist development that hangs over Ta’ Cenc, a natural area which has been earmarked for the construction of a golf course.
“We protest against land of ecological and archaeological value being used for golf courses and other construction for the benefit of the few and a loss for the whole country. More virgin land is now earmarked for development, further reducing what little countryside we have. Public access to the countryside and foreshore is being blocked. This not only ruins our landscapes and enjoyment thereof but threatens rare species of flora and fauna and destroys our natural resources,” the FAA said in a statement yesterday.
The group said it was demanding that no consideration be given to construction outside the development zones and also called for a gradual dismantling of outdated rent laws, in a bid to free up more of the 23,000 empty houses on the island.
“MEPA and its personnel should really be autonomous and accountable,” the FAA said, pointing out the planning and environment authority’s regulations should be reviewed to give the citizen his full rights of information, representation and protection.
“The Qui-Si-Sana residents have managed to invoke article 39(a) of the planning laws to get a permit refused by MEPA even after it was awarded,” Vella said. “This is a milestone and people should be aware of their rights.”
The FAA also called for a law on total transparency in the finances of political parties and limits to the amount of donations that one can make to the same parties should be passed.
“The environment is a national issue and does not belong to partisan politics. All political parties should unite on the environmental front and take widespread positive steps to the benefit of the public in general,” the group said yesterday.
Participants yesterday included BICREF, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, Friends of the Earth, Gaia Foundation, Graffitti, Insalvaw il-Wied ta’ Kalkara, Island Sanctuary Association, Kumitat ghall-Harsien Rurali ta’ Ghajn Tuffieha, Malta Geographical Society, MOAM, NatureTrust, Qui-Si-Sana Residents’ Association, Ramblers Association, Save Wied Garnaw Action Group, and The Archaeological Society.
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
|
