The Malta Motorsport Federation has expressed its disappointment with The Church Environment Commission's suggestion to government to cancel the car racetrack project in Ta' Qali.
The Church Commission had recommended planting more trees instead.
The motorsport federation said that it agrees with the Commission's suggestions for other areas, such as in the case of Comino, and said that the planting of trees should be included in the construction of roads being rebuilt, adding that safety must also be taken into consideration.
The Federation said that enthusiasts deserve the facilities to get the necessary training.
"Although all previous governments never made serious investment in motorsport, it is one of the most popular sports and saw success in the country. The sport can grow, and it is a sport in which Maltese athletes have made a name for themselves and for the country. These athletes must have the necessary facilities to practice their sport safely."
"It is a disservice from the Church Environment Commission to suggest that the Maltese government put the project aside, as there is already an agreement between government and the opposition that the project is a necessity for the country and both parties included the project in their manifestos."
"In doing this, the commission put aside the interests of thousands of car enthusiasts and motorcyclists when the first and foremost aim of the Church Commission should be to contribute to creating a fair society, in this case including motorsports enthusiasts and drivers requiring further training."
"The Church Environment Commission should have requested a meeting with the Malta Motorsport Federation, the main promoter of the project, to learn about the proposal, and only then could it arrive at its conclusion."
The Federation invites the Commission to meet over the matter.
Nature Trust – FEE Malta reply
Nature Trust – FEE Malta has applauded the efforts done by the Church in Malta to increase awareness about the importance of the protection of trees and the need to revamp current legislation to protect those trees which have no protection status.
“The idea of incorporating trees into the aesthetics of the landscape and their consequential protection is to be commended and legislated.”
The organisation noted that the “ongoing onslaught on trees along roads is short -sighted and short -term, as widening a road section would still lead to bottlenecks elsewhere.”
“Improved public transport and better incentives for students, frequent commuters and cyclists is the way forward. Where trees have to be removed adequate compensation must be sought in the form of the planting of new indigenous trees, if possible within the same locality.”
NT-FEE Malta asked whether long term plans exist to ensure that an adequate supply of local indigenous stock exists.
“Importing indigenous trees would lead to genetic pollution of the local stock and the high risk of pest infestations from imports as happened in the past, despite the protective measures in place.”
It also called on authorities to show a committed and wider appreciation and protection of local biodiversity and urged the Environment and Resources Authority to take into account protected fauna when issuing the development permit conditions for applications on abandoned fields, especially those found within a scheme.
“It is useless to have laws protecting local biodiversity when these are being flagrantly ignored by the authorities.”