[WATCH] AD challenges Busuttil ‘to walk green talk’ and oppose racetrack

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Alternattiva Demokratika has challenged Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to put his money where his mouth is on his environmental policies and withdraw his party's support for the construction of a massive motorsports racetrack.

"The expression of interest results for the racetrack proposal will be published next week, in what will be an enormous test for Simon Busuttil," AD chairperson Arnold Cassola said during a meeting with environmental movement Front Harsien ODZ.

"The racetrack will take over 100 hectares of land, most of which will be on land outside developed zones. Also, Malta has very limited space and so the racetrack's air and noise pollution will impact residents no matter where it's located.

"How can Busuttil reconcile his strong opposition to development at Zonqor with [PN whip] David Agius's vocal support for the racetrack project and his presence at the EOI presentation?"

AD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that his party has "indications" that the racetrack will be built within the vicinity of the airport.

"Moreover, the racetrack project will also include development such as a hotel, conference centres and other ancillary facilities that can easily be built in developed zones but will want to be located close to the racetrack to reap its economic benefits."

Cacopardo also urged Archbishop Charles Scicluna to withdraw a Church application for the construction of a new school in Ghaxaq on ODZ land.

“Development should only take place on ODZ land when absolutely necessary, such as for petrol stations. There’s enough land in developed areas for schools to be built in.” 

This was the first of a series of meetings that the Front is organising with political parties on local council matters related to ODZ development, and meetings with PN and PL officials have been scheduled for next week.

At the start of the meeting, Front spokesperson Michael Briguglio hailed the environmental track record of Alternattiva Demokratika, the party he had chaired between 2009 and 2013.  

“The Green Party has consistently opposed ODZ development, such as the development of a golf course, the 2006 rationalisation process that extended development boundaries, and more recently proposed ODZ development at Zonqor,” he said.

The Front discussed problems related to ODZ in Attard where AD is represented at local level together with Sliema.  These include quarrying activities and proposals for the expansion of existing ODZ petrol stations and new proposals.

"Front Harsien ODZ looks forward to have common positions with AD and other political parties in the opposition of ODZ development, and for this reason we will also be meeting PL and PN in the coming days to seek joint positions on specific ODZ issues in specific localities,” the Front added.

‘AUM concerns not only environmental’ – Briguglio

Briguglio, who spearheaded a protest last summer against the proposed development of a private university on ODZ land at Zonqor, insisted that the Front has not given up the battle to protect Zonqor from development.

“We are currently studying strategies, including protests, to continue opposing the non-American non-University,” he said, in a mockery of the project’s ‘American University of Malta’ title.

Moreover, he said that concerns about the Sadeen Group’s overall project are not limited to environmental concerns about where it will be constructed.

“During the recent surreal marathon parliamentary session, we found out that Sadeen hasn’t even applied for a university license but for a higher educational institution license,” Briguglio said. “It’s clearly not American, it won’t be a university, and I’d say that Malta’s name is being used abusively in this case.

“It is a non-American, non-university of Sadeen.”