Why are uprooted trees being replanted in private Dingli land? PN asks

The Nationalist Party questioned the government's decision to replant uprooted trees from Santa Lucija in private land in Dingli, insisting that Santa Lucija residents had a right to know.

The government had said that the Dingli private land was a temporary home for the uprooted olive trees and that these same trees would return to Santa Lucija once a new promenade is completed.

The trees are being 'temporarily' replanted in an area known as Ta' Manduca, in a private field in Dingli.

"The residents of Santa Lucija should be told why this particular field in Dingli was chosen as opposed to any other field in the country. They should also be told whether there were other designated areas for replanting, and how many areas where chosen as replanting sites by Infrastructure Malta," PN MP Jason Azzopardi said.

In his capacity as an opposition spokesperson for the environment, Azzopardi questioned whether the government provided any guarantee to the Santa Lucija residents that these same trees would eventually return from their temporary Dingli abode.

"I implore the government to refrain from the politics of secrecy as it is doing for the Santa Lucija project, guaranteeing that 500 trees will be removed. This damage could have been avoided had the government launched a public consultation beforehand," Azzopardi said. 

He added that the government had a responsibility to tell the whole truth about every decision it would take with regards to this project.