The Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) and a number of other university student representative organisations yesterday declared that the splitting of the American University of Malta’s campus between Zonqor Point and Cospicua was a case of “better, but just not good enough”.
The student organisations welcomed the regeneration of the Cospicua historical building to be allocated to the AUM, as well as the downsizing of development on ODZ land in Marsascala, but questioned the need to still develop 18,000 square metres of ODZ land.
The organisations said they “unanimously believe that no ODZ land whatsoever should be used for this project. We believe that more effort should be done in order to relocate the 18,000 square metres that are still planned to be built on ODZ land. Allowing this area to be developed, would only result in making room for further expansions on more ODZ land in the future.”
On its part, the KSU said its position has remained unchanged over the past months: “safeguarding virgin pristine land should be placed at the top of any government’s agenda, and this explains the continued plea for the government to find other possible locations for that part of campus which is planned to be built at Zonqor.
KSU reiterated that “allowing any ODZ land to be developed, even if it is 18,000 square metres, would mean that the government is failing to recognise the beauty and importance of the Maltese environment”.
The KSU said it will “continue to support Front Harsien ODZ's cry to safeguard every square metre of what’s left of our environment and to make sure that more pressure is put on the government in order to listen to its citizens and relocate the remaining area from an ODZ to an already developed site”.
The other student organisations 5that signed the declaration were: AISEC - ASA – ASCS – Betapsi –DESA – ELSA Malta – ESA – ESN – ESO – GħSL – GħST – Greenhouse – GUG – HOASA –IAESTE Malta – ICTSA – Insite – JEF Malta – KSJC - MHSA – MIRSA – MMSA – MPSA –MUSC – MUST – S-Cubed – SACES – SDM – SPS – TDM2000 Malta – The Third Eye –UESA – University Bible Group – UoM Futsal - UoMR – We Are – Y4TE.