‘We will fight on as long as the last metre of land is salvageable from senseless development’ - ADPD

ADPD – The Green Party said that it would insist on reversing the 2006 local plans, as long as the last remaining fraction of a square metre of land was salvageable from "senseless" development.

In a press conference on Saturday in Iklin, where agricultural land is making way for construction, ADPD said that Parliament was still able to stop the destruction of a substantial part of the two million square metres of land that a PN government had slated for development in 2006.

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that there was a continuous assault on agricultural land, in spite of all the nice statements that one finds in the Acquisition and ownership of agricultural land reform white paper, permits such as for the Iklin site continue to be granted for large tracts of land that until 2006 were considered outside the development zone.

“As long as there is the last remaining fraction of a square metre of land that can be saved, we will continue our fight to safeguard agricultural land and stop senseless development,” Cacopardo said.

“It is futile that the parties in Parliament declare their love for open spaces when both have refused to reverse immediately the 2006 rationalisation plan.”

He pointed out that both Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech have declared their position against curtailing development zones.

“Both the Partit Laburista and the Partit Nazzjonalista work hand-in-hand in protecting developers: both support the destruction of arable land and are ready to sacrifice quality of life at the altar of greed. Farmers always get the short end of the stick – whoever is in Government.”

Cacopardo said that the local plans were not fit for purpose, as they did not consider the cumulative impact of proposed developments.

“There is an urgent need for these to be revised. If our members of parliament truly have the citizens’ quality of life at heart, if they sincerely believe that we should save the little that is left, if they honestly want to protect farmers, and if they meaningfully value open spaces, we invite them to present a parliamentary motion for the local plans to be revised and for the 2006 rationalisation exercise to be scrapped.”

ADPD General Secretary Ralph Cassar said that over the last 16 years, the 2006 rationalisation unleashed a “destruction” all over Malta – from Swieqi to Birżebbuġa, Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Mosta, Attard, Santa Luċija and Iklin.

Cassar said that around 5,000 sq.m. of land in Iklin was being “destroyed”, with the developer seeking the Planning Authority’s permission to build a road over ODZ land – that is extending further the area already given for development by the rationalisation scheme.

Cassar said that although government professes to want to protect the farmers, it fails to change and reduce development zones to save arable land

He added that the development poses a potential safety risk, as it might be closer to a fireworks factory than the minimum distance required by law.

“They [the developers] always want more. The parties in Parliament on their part, sing the virtues of a better quality of life, but through their actions enable the destruction and overdevelopment of our country,” concluded Cassar.