Growing outrage against the proposed Triq Marsalforn road-widening project catalysed over 50 people to attend MALTA-ARCH’s and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar's guided nature excursion into Wied tal-Grazzja and advocacy meeting, the two NGOs said in a statement.
Enthnobiologist Timothy J. Tabone led the troupe down the country road slated to be widened and straightened, uprooting over 230 trees and destroying much agricultural land and natural habitats in the process. During the walk, Tabone identified many threatened indigenous trees, including the Narrow-Leaved Ash (Fraxinus Angustifolia) and the White Poplar (Populus Alba). These trees, among Malta’s most highly-protected, were allegedly not indicated on the landscaping plans submitted by the Ministry for Gozo and approved by ERA.
These large old trees dominate the landscape, and it is hard to understand how the Ministry for Gozo or ERA could have missed them.
Outrageously, this report further concludes that the project did not require an Environment Impact Assessment, as it made no “significant environmental impact”, the statement said.
Needlessly widening the road would very much have an environmental impact. These trees play a critical role in filtering out air pollutants and combating climate change. The project would also destroy rare natural habitats for threatened species. Finally, removing the trees and green spaces threatens the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of Gozo’s residents.
As Timothy Tabone guided the walkers into Wied tal-Grazzja, he explained how the project would devastate habitats critical to indigenous species, such as the Moorhen—a waterbird already threatened in Malta. Rare plants, such as the Bulrush (Typha domingensis) and the Sea Clubrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus), are also of grave conservation concern. These species grow near flowing freshwater streams (a scarce resource in Malta and Gozo) making them especially vulnerable to the road-widening project. Even if their habitats are not completely wiped out, the influx of heavy vehicles, machinery and construction materials poses deep threats to their survival. Protecting these rare species should be top priority, the statement said.
Tabone also shared fascinating stories connecting the plants to Maltese heritage and folklore. For instance, the ‘fluff’ of the Bullrush (Typha Domingensis) served to bind wounds. The Mediterranean Star Thistle (Centaurea nicaeensis) or ‘Xewk tal-Għotba’ was widely employed to treat Brucellosis, a terrible infectious disease. Meanwhile the White Hedge-Nettle (Prasium majus), also known as ‘Te Sqalli’ (Sicilian Tea) or Te tal-blat (Rock Tea), was historically used as a tea substitute by poor communities, especially during World War II. Additionally, non-indigenous plants like the Loquat fruit trees (‘Naspli’) played important roles in providing food. Even today their fruit is avidly consumed by the Golden Oriold (‘Tajra safra’), one of the most beautiful passing migrant birds we see in the Spring.
Furthermore, Tabone delved into the origins of archaic Maltese words that drew from such plant names, illustrating how public memory and the language itself is intertwined with nature. Such linguistic heritage increases the imperative that our natural sites remain untouched.
During the meeting held after the nature walk, members of the public condemned the road project criticizing its lack of transparency and accountability from the start. People expressed particular outrage over the fact that the €9 million tender was awarded to Prax Ltd – a company owned by Nadur developer Joseph Portelli and his close Gozitan associates – years before the permit was even issued. Additionally, attendees disputed the claim that the road was being reconfigured to improve safety, pointing out that police had confirmed the absence of any serious traffic accidents or congestion on this road. Everyone at the meeting agreed that the road is never congested and that the claim was a mere cover-up designed to funnel more money to the developers.
The additional justification from the government that the road needs to be upgraded to match European Trans-European Transport Network (Ten-T) standards is ludicrous. These standards apply to major trade routes, clearly not the case with Marsalforn. Furthermore this project, co-financed by the European Union, blatantly contravenes EU measures aimed at combating climate change. It destroys countryside at a time when millions of euros are being allocated to return land to the wild.
All those present at the meeting universally condemned the government’s decision to squander €9 million on a project that not only destroys nature, but also undermines tourism. This so-called “upgrade” would transform an idyllic road and landscape into a dangerous motorway serving no one’s interest, but the developers and their political cronies. It must be halted immediately, the statement said.
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