PN MP Marthese Portelli called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to put into practice statements he made last Sunday during the May 1 rally in front of Castille, in view of the Wied Ghomor application hearing set for this Thursday before the Planning Authority Board.
She called on the Prime Minister to ensure that the entities within his portfolio, including the Planning Authority, put into practice what he is preaching.
Last Sunday, Dr Muscat pledged before a packed Castille square that the environment is a priority for the government and pledged that it will not use any ODZ land for any government project in the coming two years.
She said that over the past three years "We've heard some very nice words about the environment coming out of the Prime Minister's mouth, however when push comes to shove, the opposite of what he preached occurred".
"We saw the revision of SPED, where not a single proposal put forward by the Opposition to safeguard the environment was taken on board. We saw the MEPA demerger, and of course, the cherry on the cake was government's decision to give Zonqor to foreigners so that they can build on it".
"The Ombudsman had to come out and criticise the lack of this government's environmental conscience".
On Thursday, she said, government has another moment with which it can prove itself. A project seeking to build an elderly residential home is before the Board. Government will have a golden opportunity to implement what it preaches.
"We are speaking about a development in a valley, the only green lung left for residents in Swieqi and San Gwann. The only green lung in the heart of the surrounding concrete, the only stretch of countryside left between those two localities".
This project, she says, will not just affect these localities, but could set a precedent, a national benchmark. "Do we want all our valleys to be built up?"
"We, as politicians, have a responsibility on every decision we take, where we must see what is best for the public, what is in the public's best interest rather that other interests. In this case, we must look at what is in the interest of Swieqi and San Gwann".
"Mr Speaker, I appeal to the Prime Minister, to every member of government who sits on the Board and to those appointed by government to decide in the peoples' interest, for the common good. I appeal to them to safeguard Wied Ghomor".
"Let us not hide behind the word 'rehabilitation', let us not use this word as an excuse for construction in rural areas, in protected zones. There are cases where rehabilitations would be required to arrange existing buildings, however this is not the notm, and shouldn't be the norm"/
This development, she explained, would be an injustice to residents in the area. "They have a right to the countryside, to clean air. Everyone knows Swieqi and San Gwann are high density residential localities. Everyone knows how buildings in these two localities rose, one after the other".
Here is where the ball lies in the Prime Minister's court, she said. "Last Sunday, Prime Minister, you said that the environment is your priority, you said that you will build your credentials in this area by having more open spaces. This Thursday you have a choice".
She explained that the site is on ODZ land, and that Wied Ghomor is a scheduled heritage area.
He quoted from the Local Plan. "Any development or activity that would jeopardise the protected status of the Valley will not be protected by MEPA".
She read from the SPED, Thematic Objective 1: ".....manage available potential space and environmental resources.....whilst protecting the environment and limiting land take up within the rural area by guiding the location of the bulk of new jobs and homes within the Urban Area; identifying degrading areas within the Urban Area for integrated regeneration; increasing green open space".
She quoted from the SPED: "Socio-economic development should ensure that Rural Areas are not exploited."
She explained that the MRA Policy ENV1 establishes that exhausted quarries should be restored to their original conditions. She also said that in 2011, MEPA said that the allowable development ancillary with the quarry should amount to 5% of the site area.
She said that when one looks at all the aforementioned points, the clear conclusion is that the decision to protect Wied Ghomor should be taken. In conclusion, she again appealed to government appointed board members to safeguard Wied Ghomor.
"Common good and national interest must prevail above all else".