From Mr S. Sammut

I would like to congratulate Minister for IT and Investment Austin Gatt for having brought to the south of Malta an investment to the tune of e130 million within five years and possibly the creation of nothing less than 500 jobs. I have no qualms showing my gratitude because job creation and investments is like music to our ears. Surely, Minister Gatt would start calling me a downer, a moaner and all sorts of adjectives if I were to say something contrary to that effect.

Nevertheless, those thousands, who by now have been reduced to a few hundreds, of bathers who frequent what was originally known as Pretty Bay in Birzebbuga constantly witness the dire effects of such operation. This Freeport activity was started during the Dom Mintoff administration and the Nationalist administrations have built on it and improved it to what it is today.

Bathing in Birzebbuga bay is increasingly a perilous activity. We are assured that the quality of water is regularly monitored but is this form of assessment gauging the heavy metal residues components in water and fuel traits. I wonder if monitoring is being done in a proper manner. A foul stench of petroleum is very evident on a substantial number of days in the peak season of summer.

Can some money be spared for the control of toxic substances that find their way into the sea at Birzebbuga? Are the Freeport authorities exempt from the polluter pays policy?

And what about the noise pollution of the Freeport activity, which leaves no peaceful sleep to all those locals who have to keep windows shut in the heat of summer because of the irritating noise made by the container handling operation. Can anything be done about this? Shouldn’t we compel the company that operates the Freeport to do something about this nuisance as well?

Who cares? As long as investment keeps on rolling in and new jobs are created, dare we complain and lament? Whenever I happen to be there I am alarmed when I see families with children swimming in such contaminated waters. Strictly speaking, since Birzebbuga Pretty Bay has become a port, bathing should be prohibited. It is a great pity that one of the few remaining sandy beaches in the south has been turned into such an appalling state thanks to the MLPN tandem politics where commercial and employment priorities prevail over the health and safety welfare of our citizens. Unfortunately, these two major political parties seem to be entrapped in short term benefit policies.

Was it not possible to have investment and safety? Did nobody think of it? Will nobody make the attempt to safeguard both these industrial and public amenity assets? Does every development have to be unsustainable?

Ssshhh. Deafening silence in progress.

Saviour Sammut

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