Updated | Government says university will be built on abandoned agricultural land

While Alterattiva Demokratika, the Green Party, welcomed any investment that could be beneficial to the country's economy, this should be done in an environmentally sensitive manner, representatives of the party said during a press conference in Marsaskala today. 

AD was reacting to an announcement by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday, in which the PM said that the south of Malta will be benefiting from a major educational project involving the American University, which has been earmaked for the south, along with a nearby 'national park'. 

AD claimed that the proposed area for the project, which has not yet been offically announced, would encroach on an areas in the South of Malta described as "sites of scientific and ecological importance proposed for scheduling," by the Malta Environment Planning Authority in the South Malta Local Plan.

In a reaction, the government said that the new University will be developed on land that the University of Malta had identified as being “abandoned agricultural land”.

It added that it will occupy under 100,000 square metres of land and will incorporate several open spaces.

#M'skala needs the new environmental-friendly University.Imp. boost to rekindle economic activity in South which died when Jerma shut down.

— Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) May 2, 2015

It noted that the South Malta Local Plan had recommended that parts of coastal areas get classified as zones of scientific importance.

“We will take all possible measures to ensure that this zone will be affected as little as possible,” the government said.

They said that the government is proceeding with informal consultations before formally announcing the project. The university will also undergo an environmental impact study as well as a public consultation process. 

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici tweeted that Marsacala would benefit from this economic books, giving credence to AD's claims that the American University site will encroach on Marsascala.

'#M'skala needs the new environmental-friendly University.Imp. boost to rekindle economic activity in South which died when Jerma shut down.,' Bonnici tweeted today at 12:31pm, shortly after AD's press conference. 

While stressing that AD is not against the project itself, but the location for which it has been earmarked, the party's deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo claimed that according to "various sources", the project will begin from the area behind the waterpolo pitch in Marsaskala and progress forward. 

"While details of the proposal have not been made public to date, it is understood that a substantial area of land between Xghajra, Zabbar and Zonqor Point in Marsaskala will be taken up. AD estimates that the uptake of land could be in the region of 20 hectares and this excludes additional virgin land which will be taken up for the development of roads and services.

"Even at this early stage, the social and environmental impacts of such a project have to be carefully considered," Cacopardo said, adding that AD is willing to collaborate with government to help locate alternative sites suitable for the project. 

"There are a large number of alternative areas that would be suitable for the project and which would not lead to the environmental damage that the project as-is augurs. AD is more than willing to work hand in hand with government to help locate these suitable alternatives," Cacopardo added.