Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar today condemned, in the strongest terms, the destruction of a large Aleppo Pine outside Mdina Gate, which was felled, cut up and swiftly carried away in a truck by workers carrying out the refurbishing of the adjacent playground.

This tree has graced the garden there for over a century, providing beauty and shade while reducing air pollution, the NGO said. Moreover it was protected by the Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations 2018, under the category of:

(d) trees or woodland communities of scientific, ecological, aesthetic, historical, cultural, arboricultural, silvicultural, agricultural, educational or landscape interest; 

(e) prominent landmark trees;   

The planning application, submitted by Nadia Galea Curmi, presumably for Infrastructure Malta, claims that no trees will be felled, therefore no permit for the destruction of this tree has been sought or issued by ERA. Incredibly, the applicant claims that this is not a scheduled site, when in fact, this Mdina site has the highest degree of protection in Malta, as a Category A, Grade 1 scheduled (protected) site, and Area of High Landscape value.. 

Such acts by a state entity repeat offender, make a mockery of politicians' claims that greening Malta's urban areas is their priority, while at the same time destroying beautiful, protected mature landmark trees. According to Maltese law, this is a crime against nature and our cultural heritage - FAA asks what action the Environment Resource Authority will be taking, according to Malta's laws which stipulate a fine of up to twenty five thousand euros (€25,000) for the total destruction of a protected tree. And would that fine be paid by the person who authorised the illegal felling of this tree, or would it ultimately be paid by the taxpayer?

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar furthermore asks Infrastructure Malta not to insult the public's intelligence with promises of compensatory planting, as nothing can replace a 100-year old historic, mature tree.