Updated | Muscat confirms part of ‘American University’ will be built at Zonqor

Part of the controversially sited ‘American University of Malta’ project will “undoubtedly” be located at Zonqor Point, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has confirmed.

Speaking during a meeting with MaltaToday journalists, Muscat admitted that the government could have been “more sensitive” in the siting process for the private university.

“However, we cannot now be absolutist and decide not to build it anywhere,” Muscat said. “I’m ready to take decisions and to pay for them at the voting booth. I might reap the fruit and I might lose points.”

The government has commissioned a social impact assessment on the possibility of siting part of the university campus at Cottonera. When asked about this plan, Muscat kept his cards close to his chest, simply saying that the government will “minimize the impact” of the campus buildings and keep the project’s “feasibility” in mind.

“Had we chosen to site the university at Fort Ricasoli, we’d have had to relocate the tank-cleaning farm from there,” the Prime Minister argued. “Had we relocated it to Birzebbuga, we would have had to build it outside development zones. Therefore, instead of using up ODZ land to build an educational institution, we’d have ended up using it to relocate a tank-cleaning farm.”

I'll make this clear. We will continue to resist dev at #Zonqor using all means at law - until common sense prevails. http://t.co/afNIjsC7Oo

— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) August 9, 2015

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said that the PN will continue to resist development at Zonqor using all means at law, “until common sense prevails”.

Joseph Muscat confirms Government will build in Zonqor. We confirm our resistance,& it will keep growing. #savezonqor pic.twitter.com/cnEnWNYwmD

— Michael Briguglio (@BriguglioMike) August 9, 2015

Front Harsien ODZ spokesperson Michael Briguglio reiterated his group’s resistance to development at Zonqor and said that such resistance “will keep on growing”. 

Around 3,000 people protested in June against the proposed Zonqor development, in what was widely viewed as Malta’s largest-ever environmental protest.

During the meeting, Muscat repeatedly argued that the Nationalist Party is being given “the benefit of the doubt” on its environmental credentials, despite having reduced ODZ boundaries when in government.

On the contrary, he said that the AUM project was the only ODZ controversy that Labour has faced in over two years of government.