Manoel Island, Hondoq ir-Rummien and the Delimara Peninsula are among a number of sites being proposed by Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar to fall within the ublic domain.
FAA will be the first to make use of the Public Domain Act, which was approved by Parliament a few weeks back.
Perit Tara Cassar explained that the environmental application is filing seven applications. These include Manoel Island, which FAA is proposing should be turned into a national heritage park.
The other sites are Wied Garnaw, which lies between Luqa and Gudja, Hondoq ir-Rummien, where FAA is proposing that an area extending beyond the 15-metre foreshore is declared public, the Delimara peninsula, including Kalanka and St Peter’s Pool, Ta’ Cenc in Gozo, all Sliema and St Julian’s bays, many of which have already been encroached upon and are not in a very good state and and three trees in Ta’ Xbiex proposed to be removed by Transport Malta to make way for traffic arrangements related to the Kappara project.
FAA Coordinator Astrid Vella said most of the proposed sites are currently facing some form of risk. “In the case of Wied Garnaw the Local Council has this week reversed its decision that the area should be left unbuilt. The decision on Hondoq is coming up this week. Fortunately it is recommended for refusal but one never knows and you can never protect these areas enough.”
Ms Vella said this was just the very first set of proposals and more would follow in the coming months. Ms Vella explained that the proposals would not go before the Prime Minister and would later be up for public consultation. She also encouraged the public to do the same, especially with lesser known areas.
Under the Public Domain Act members of the public and NGOs can recommend land and property to be declared as public domain. This would ensure public access to these areas and ban commercial activities. All applications are subject to a parliamentary decision.
Ms Vella added: “We want to make it very clear that we are in no way calling for any form of requisition of land by the government. The law provides for the purchase by government at commercial rates in order to make these sites accessible to the public. There is no talk of taking over private property. We feel that as government has splurged huge sums of money on sites that might not be as worthy these sites we are proposing definitely deserve to have some government expenditure, especially for a place like Manoel Island, which would be a lovely national heritage park in the middle of a huge concentration that lacks a green and verdant outlet. This is not just about tourism but also about a better quality of life.”