There can be no compromise unless the proposed shooting range is completely silent, which will not be the case, Jesuit Provincial Fr Patrick Magro said this evening.

Father Magro was a guest speaker, along with AMACS shooting association president Stephen Petroni on an RTK discussion programme, which discussed the proposed development of a civilian shooting range near the St Joseph retreat home, situated on the outskirts of Mosta.

Fr Magro said news about the shooting range came as a shock. The retreat house, on the outskirts of Mosta, would be affected by the noise generated from the nearby proposed development. Mount St Joseph is not there for priests – it is used by priests to give a service to people. “I am not campaigning for the Jesuits but for the 10,000 people that use the retreat and its large, peaceful gardens every year.” Fr Magro said people tell him that the primary feature of the retreat is the peace and quiet in the area, which will be compromised if the shooting range is developed. The retreat’s primary aim will be lost.

Mr Petroni said he represents one of three associations that have been striving for the development of a national shooting range for many years. Asked why more shooting ranges are needed, seeing that Malta already has ten such facilities, Mr Petroni said none of them could be converted into a national shooting range.  There are different types of shooting sports and international rules that dictate the size and shape of a shooting range. An internationally recognized shooting range would serve to attract foreign shooters and competitions to Malta. Shooting is practically the only sport Malta does well in, Mr Petroni said, noting that there are up to 7,000 sport shooters in Malta.

Mr Petroni said some had raised the issue of safety. “We are speaking about a contained civilian shooting range. This means that no kind of projectile will exit the range perimeter. There is no risk to people on the outside.” On the noise issue, Mr Petroni insisted that modern shooting ranges absorb most of the sound created by gunfire. He said that in certain countries villagers were totally unaware of shooting ranges situated short distances away from their homes. The group behind the project was guaranteeing that no noise inconvenience would be caused.

Fr Magro said he and the people he is representing are not against a shooting range. “I would never presume to keep anyone from practicing their sport.” He said, however, that the noise issue was a delicate one. A retreat house needed total silence and there could be no compromise on this. He explained that the retreat house is situated in a silent area, and any outside noise would have a drastic effect. “We are not only against having this range built near Mount St Joseph but also anywhere where it will disturb people’s peace. This is not only about retreat houses – people need silence. Sound levels in Malta are already alarmingly high.” Cancelling most of the noise is still not enough, he said. Anything but a totally silent shooting range would not be acceptable. The developers have themselves said that not all the noise will be cancelled. It was also not true that up to 95% of the noise would be cancelled. Regulations, he said, required civilian shooting ranges to be situated not less than a kilometer and a half away from habitable areas. He denied that he was pressuring residents to rise up against the project, insisting that they were the ones who came to the Jesuits for help.

Mr Petroni said no comparison could be made to the Safi and Pembroke shooting ranges, which are both military facilities. He also argued that total silence does not exist. He said he went to Mount St Joseph several times and there was no total silence. It was true that the area was a beautiful and quiet one but it was not totally silent. That was only a myth.  Cars can be heard from the area, as can aircraft flying overhead. He said the developers wanted to improve on the sound cancellation standards reached abroad. Father Magro interjected, saying that no such guarantee existed.

Asked about the fact that the range will be developed on ODZ land, Mr Petroni insisted that construction will be minimal, many of the structures will be made out of wood and most of the work will involve landscaping. He said part of the area, near the Nissen huts, is being used for drug abuse. Fr Magro insisted that this area made up only a small part of the development. He said some houses are situated less than 50 metres away from the site and would most definitely be affected by the noise. “The best thing would be for you to find and alternative site and for all of us to be able to live in peace.”

Mr Petroni said an event was held last Sunday in Gnien l-Gharusa tal-Mosta, a short distance away from Mount St Joseph, where many blank cartridges had been fired, including by machineguns. No one had complained. Fr Magro, however, insisted that there would be no compromise with principles. He also insisted that the noise abatement studies were being conducted by the same group behind the project, and as such could be biased. That is why the Jesuits have commissioned their own ‘independent’ studies.