After destroying land, they’re dead set on destroying the sea – Marsaskala

A press conference was held on Saturday morning by ADPD – The Green Party in Marsaskala.

Dr Melissa Bagely, Deputy General Secretary of the party introduced the press conference. She said that the proposal for a marina in Marsaskala Bay is another episode of a lack of consultation with residents and with the Local Council. “Once again the government and the authorities are ignoring their obligation under the law to consult with the local council, in this case that of Marsaskala.”

“The fact that the marina is mentioned in the local plan is not an excuse for not consulting properly. Back in 2006 the then Nationalist government had run roughshod over everyone  and because it is in favor of unbridled development it avoided carrying out proper impact assessments. Despite the fact that local plans are now outdated, now in 2021 we have the Labor Party in government which is using the same plans as an excuse to run roughshod again over residents. Like its predecessors the Labour Government avoids proper consultation, and is in favor of the destruction of our beaches and our coast. They destroyed the land and are now intent on destroying our sea.”

Brian Decelis, a Marsaskala resident, and who in the past also served as a local councillor on behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika in Fgura, also addressed the press conference. Brian Decelis said: “In the 4 years I have lived here I have seen an assault on what was once a picturesque village, with uninterrupted development everywhere you look. The proposal for a marina is the death knell for Marsaskala. They have destroyed the land and now even the sea is doomed. A marina means that we will not be able to swim, use our canoes and dinghies, or play in the sea.”

“Why has this project been resurrected now, just a few months before a general election? Is there perhaps a connection with another massive project in Marsaskala, that of the Jerma Hotel site? I don’t know, but, perhaps, some of the journalists present here might investigate.”

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo reiterated that Transport Malta’s (TM) proposal to kickstart the process of developing a marina yacht would be very damaging.

He asked: “Who decided that we need a yacht marina? The documents published by TM declare that it is necessary for Marsaskala to benefit from yacht-associated tourism. What they are not saying is that after transforming Marsaskala into a concrete jungle, they now want destroy the sea as well. The planning of public space is a public function that is supposed to improve the quality of life of residents. Residents don’t want this development and so TM has to stop and listen to what people have to say: because if people don’t want this development, then what is the purpose for proceeding?”

“The study on the impacts of all the ongoing development should have been carried out years ago, even before the local plans were drawn up. The local plan process was deliberately speeded up to because the government of the day wanted to avoid impact studies. That’s why all the ongoing development all over the country is affecting people’s lives so negatively. Here in Marsaskala, the yacht marina makes matters worse.”

“Marsaskala is not alone in suffering the huge negative effects of overdevelopment, it is just the latest example. That is why we as a party have spoken clearly about this devastation, in Marsaskala and in the rest of the country. We can address all this with new local plans that reflect people’s needs and expectations, suppress exaggerated development and give people a break from all this destruction. Local plans should serve people and not the interests of capital.”

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Qerdu l-art u issa daru għall-baħar – Marsaskala

Is-Sibt filgħodu saret konferenza stampa minn ADPD – The Green Party f’Marsaskala. Dr Melissa Bagely, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali tal-partit introduċiet l-konferenza stampa. Qalet li l-proposta tal-marina fil-bajja ta’ Marsaskala hija eżempju ieħor ta’ nuqqas ta’ konsultazzjoni mar-residenti u anke mal-Kunsilli Lokali. “Għal darba oħra l-gvern u l-awtoritajiet qed jinjoraw l-obbligu tagħhom skont il-liġi li ssir konsultazzjoni mal-Kunsill tal-lokalità, f’dan il-każ dak ta’ Marsaskala.”

“Il-fatt li l-marina qegħda fil-pjan lokali mhix skuża biex ma ssirx konsultazzjoni kif suppost. Lura fl-2006 l-Gvern Nazzjonalista ta’ dak iż-żmien kien għadda bħal gaffa minn fuq kulħadd u għax huwa favur żvilupp bla rażan ma għamilx l-istudji tal-impatti kif suppost. Il-pjani lokali huma skaduti. Issa għandna l-Partit Laburista fil-gvern li bħal ta’ qablu qed jiġi jaqa’ u jqum mill-konsultazzjoni, bħal ta’ qablu huwa favur il-qerda tal-bajjiet u tal-kosta tagħna. Qerdu l-art u issa daru għall-baħar ukoll.”

Indirizza l-konferenza stampa wkoll Brian Decelis, resident ta’ Marsaskala u li fil-passat serva ta’ kunsillier f’isem Alternattiva Demokratika fil-Fgura. Brian Decelis qal:”F’dawn l-aħħar 4 snin kemm ilni noqgħod hawn rajt assalt fuq dak li qabel kien raħal pittoresk, bi żvilupp ma jaqta’ xejn kull fejn tħares. Il-proposta tal-marina hija l-kolp tal-mewt – qerdu l-art u issa anke l-baħar hu ikkundannat.  Marina tfisser daqshekk se nkunu nistgħu nibqgħu ngħumu, nniżlu l-canoes jew dinghies, jew nilgħabu fil-baħar kif aħna mdorrijin bih sal lum.”

“Żgur li tqum il-mistoqsija: għaliex dan il-proġett tħabbar illum propju ftit qabel m’għanda tissejjaħ elezzjoni ġenerali? Għal li jista’ jkun, għandu x’jaqsam, ma’ proġett massiċċ ieħor ġewwa Marsaskala, qiegħed nirreferi għal dak tal-Jerma li xi kultant nisimgħu bih? Ma nafx – nistaqsi qiegħed jiena – la jien ġurnalist u lanqas investigatur – imma, forsi, xi ħadd mill-ġurnalisti hawn preżenti jitħajjar jindaga minn hemm wara dawn il-proġetti u x’konnessjonijiet jista’ jkun li għandhom.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza li l-proposta ta’ Transport Malta (TM) biex jibda l-proċess ħalli tkun żviluppata yacht marina tagħmel ħafna ħsara.

Staqsa:”Min iddeċieda dwar din il-ħtieġa? Id-dokument ippubblikat minn TM jgħid li din hi meħtieġa biex Marsaskala jibbenefika minn turiżmu assoċjat mal-jottijiet. Li mhux jgħidu hu li wara li ttrasformaw lil Marsaskala f’ġungla tal-konkos fuq l-art, issa jridu jħarbtu l-baħar ukoll. L-ippjanar tal-ispazji pubbliċi hu funzjoni pubblika li teħtieġ li isservi  biex ittejjeb il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti. Dan l-iżvilupp ir-residenti ma jriduhx u allura TM għandha tieqaf u tisma’ dak li għandhom xi jgħidu in-nies: għax jekk in-nies dan l-iżvilupp ma tridux xi skop hemm li jibqa’ għaddej?”

“L-istudju dwar l-impatti tal-iżvilupp kollu li għaddej bħalissa messu ilu li sar snin kbar, sa minn qabel ma tfasslu l-pjan lokali. Imma dakinnhar il-proċess tal-pjan lokali tħaffef apposta biex ikun evitat illi dan l-obbligu jkun onorat. U għalhekk li l-iżvilupp kollu li għaddej qed joħnoq il-ħajja tan-nies. Bil-yacht marina dan isir agħar.”

“Marsaskala mhix l-unika lokalità li qed tgħum f’dan it-taħwid ikkawżat minn żvilupp bl-addoċċ: hi biss l-aktar eżempju riċenti. Hu għalhekk li aħna bħala partit tkellimna b’mod ċar dwar din il-ħerba, f’Marsaskala u fil-bqija tal-pajjiż. Dan kollu nistgħu nindirizzawh bi pjani lokali li jirriflettu l-ħtiġijiet u l-aspettattivi tan-nies, li jrażżnu l-iżvilupp esaġerat u li jagħtu nifs lin-nies. Pjani lokali li ma jservux lill-flus imma li jservu lin-nies.”