PD rails against Malta’s urbanisation gone wild

Malta’s urbanization is out of control, Partit Demokratiku asserted yesterday saying: “The political direction favours population economics by dictating volumes but not values. Sustainable development planning is non-existent and our natural habitat and environment is being severely compromised.”

PD accused the government of having now cast its eye on land reclamation when there is no national master plan and strategies on the subject have been, the PD said.

“Yet it issues Expressions of Interests and promises landfills to private entrepreneurs for their mega projects. It is a fact that land reclamation is only commercially feasible if accompanied by upmarket real estate.

“It seems that MIDI’s Manoel Island project is in for its share. New plans have been submitted to the Planning Authority to build a series of 10 storey apartment blocks on the side of Manoel Island that faces the Gzira promenade to the detriment of the existing bay’s open space, urban environment, and public interests.

“This means that more than a quarter of the area of the inlet sea between the Gzira promenade and Manoel Island stretching from the far end of the yacht yard to the bridge, will be landfilled to accommodate MIDI, while more reclaimed land on the Gzira side is to be given to two adjoining hotels to share a lido. This is sheer nonsense. It will have strong negative impacts,” MEP candidate Anthony Buttigieg said.

“Land reclamation always comes at the cost of damage to an ecosystem. Hence it should be the very last resort when all other options have been exhausted,” added MEP candidate Camilla Appelgren.

PD stressed that it is not in favour of such a proposal as detailed by MIDI, and supports the concerns of the Gzira residents.

On Friday, the group Inħobbu lGżira consisting of grass roots citizens, presented an appeal and a proposal to Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat, asking for the Gzira promenade to be spared and for Manoel Island to be turned into a National Heritage Park for the benefit of all citizens.

PD also noted that the Public Domain Act has been “intentionally side-lined and thrown in the abyss, and our environmental legislation is too weak to safeguard encroachment of development on reclaimed coastal land”.