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From The Times of Malta Online Jun 29th, 14:34
There are a few key issues that need to be addressed before the Maltese Islands can hope to have its environmental heritage respected, let alone protected.- - - - -
First and foremost MEPA needs to once again be divided into two entities with dialectically opposed purposes - Environment and Planning. It is untenable for the interests of developers and the environment to be placed within the same arena and expect a fair fight - In one corner one has the developers - the heavy weight interests with a lot of money and a fair bit of power to boot - and more likely than not more than a few figureheads in their pockets (by the carrot and by the stick). In the other corner one has the Maltese environment, without a voice other than for the few light-weight non-governmental interests that would cry foul at its ongoing defilement. Place both in the same ring and call it the MEPA boxing federation. It is very obvious to see, both in hindsight as well as foresight, which interest group shall win out repeatedly.
This is why the environmental corner needs government representation (sorry MEPA - you gotta try harder if you want to be considered a contender), and why it is in the best interest of the Maltese Islands for MEPA to be dissolved and reformed into two completely opposed entities with a medium of inter-negotiation.- - - - -
Secondly the entire legal system of the Maltese Islands (along with its components) has some serious soul-searching to do if it for a second believes that dragging its feet upon this issue is in line with serving the public trust. Justice delayed is justice denied and rarely has this cliche phrase been more true than it is today. The simple truth of the matter is that as the development gets further underway so too shall it be more irrevocable. Irreversibly damaging the integrity of this (supposedly) protected valley.
Even by the next scheduled hearing this site shall be taken further beyond the point of no return. This is not a statement merely born of some scientific understanding of the subject in question, but is also born of a an element broadly known as common sense - an element that many including myself would like to think is not absent within the legal process.
However here we are today talking about the destruction of a valley. Justice delayed is justice denied. However if justice shall not be served at all then may the justice system speak sooner rather than later. I speak for myself and almost surely for many citizens when I state that I would not like to hear half-baked excuses, certainly not from what is supposed to be a well-greased machine upholding justice within this land. I do not want to hear, several months down the line, that the valley is irreversibly damaged and so the perpetrator gets a slap on the wrist.
Nor do I want to hear structures built are in fact found to be illegal but that their demolition would bring no good to the valley.
Nor do I want to hear any of a string of legalese terminology amounting through some mysterious dark magic understandable only to the privileged few, that the destruction of a protected valley was, in fact justified.
I don't want to hear it - and I am not alone. You have a job to do and while I certainly have no power over you - you do have a duty to live up to, if not to the citizens of Malta then the Maltese nation.
So let justice be swift and let final decisions be taken NOW at a time when accountability would not be obscured by the folly of persistence.
James Shaun Cauchi
Taking a bus ride to the capital city
I am no architect, singer or dancer but God gave me the gift of appreciating and enjoying their performances.
Romain Raynaldy’s interview with Renzo Piano (October 5) made me wonder whether he knew about the transformation our public transport was going to get, as is being proposed by Transport Malta. The fact that buses are going to operate till late at night, especially to Valletta, makes it more feasible and profitable to the Valletta business community to have a closed, multi-purpose theatre. Hundreds of people will go to the theatre every day, all year round using the bus service knowing they will have transport back. This can be combined with some museums opening till late on certain specific days and maybe later on having a mini Notte Bianca every month!
Our Prime Minister once said Valletta deserves the best. The vertical lift project is old-fashioned for our time and I envisage an escalator instead, which could carry hundreds of people at the same time in the shortest time possible. I was in Siena and at the back of the Basilica of St Francis (famous for the Eucharistic miracle) they have an escalator alongside the fortifications which zigzags down to a large parking area.
The hundreds of cruise liner tourists can be whisked to Valletta in no time at all and, as they always say, time is money.
Francis Falzon, Qawra
City Gate and the Emperor's New Clothes
Are we realising that when the much-lauded City Gate project is completed, we are going to be left with nothing but a far from imposing entrance to the city "built by gentlemen for gentlemen", Houses of Parliament highly reminiscent of a pagoda (filling one of the rare open spaces and reducing much needed spaces for parking) and what we are now affectionately calling an "open-air theatre"?
Has not the Royal Opera House been "an open-air theatre" since the German bombs razed it to the ground? However, to my knowledge, nobody ever used it, not as a theatre, anyway.
I think that what is happening is a sort of re-enactment of the story The Emperor's New Clothes when the citizens of that country, afraid of being thought unsuitable for their job, went along with the emperor's tailor's ruse and pretended that they were seeing the emperor wearing magnificent robes when in fact he was parading the streets stark naked. And the farce continued until an innocent little child shouted: "But the emperor is wearing nothing at all!"
I believe that having heard that Renzo Piano is a world-renowned architect, we are all afraid that, if we dare disagree, we will be deemed worthy of "designing plans for pavements" and nothing else. So we are all nodding our heads in assent... until we finally realise that we have been left with a gaping hole in our national coffer and nothing much to show for it!
So, please, let us do something before it is too late! Let us let the people speak! Let us vote as we did prior to the introduction of the euro coins. This is a national project and deserves the heartfelt involvement of all Maltese citizens. Now, before it is too late!
Lina Thake, Fleur-de-Lys
Hearty congratulations to all of the FAA team from Geoffrey and myself for the MEPA retreat on Ramla l-Hamra which we are sure you played a big part in. I wish that MEPA would see sense a bit more often to stop wrecking our beloved island. At the moment Mellieha seems to have more cranes in the air than TV aerials.
Mary & Geoffrey Fisher
Ramla Il-Hamra
WELL DONE, FAA! You have once again saved our precious country from the greed of the developer! I have just read the great news of the revocation of the permit by MEPA. You have once again led us to victory! Keep it up!
Member
Fiddling as Gozo burns - Letter Times of Malta
It is refreshing to see so many concerned citizens and visitors alike voicing their opinions against the proposed projects on Gozo; most notably Ta' Cenc, Ramla and Hondoq. Unless I missed it I have yet to read a letter in favour of any of these projects. Obviously the consensus out there is that these places belong to everyone and should not be exploited by the few for monetary gains. The little countryside left on the tiny island of Gozo ought not to be disturbed; rather preserved for everyone to enjoy now and for future generations to come.
Of course we all know that the fish stinks from the head. Mepa would not be acting in this fashion if it were not for the power entrusted to it by the government. Yet, I see all the anger addressed at the proprietors and at Mepa itself and nobody points out the fact that if the government wanted to stop this controversy all it has to do is amend the law. Like Nero the government fiddles while the Gozo landscape is eternally ruined.
Yes, indeed, appointing Mepa as a watchdog is tantamount to appointing a fox to guard the chicken coop. I am certain that if the government or the Ministry for Gozo stepped in and declared certain areas as "untouchable" then Mepa would be out of the loop and its rubber stamp for destroying these areas would forever be taken away.
Here in the city of NY once a building is declared as a Landmark by the City Council it cannot be torn down or even altered. It certainly should be a consideration.
Charles Sammut, New York, US.
Yes, I am an interfering foreigner - Letter in Malta Independent
I feel must reply to Mr Gerada-Azzopardi’s letter “The Ta’ Cenc Heritage Park Project” of 26 August.
Yes, I am an interfering foreigner who settled in your midst 17 years ago, and one of the many foreign residents who contribute a considerable amount to the economy; and who indirectly create or sustain many jobs – from Air Malta to the greengrocer on the corner. I have invested a lot of money and time in Gozo and the majority of my income is spent there. I regard it as my home and have many wonderful Gozitan and Maltese friends and acquaintances. It is for these people and their children that I put pen to paper and attend protest meetings – not for myself. I am already an oldie and, as far as I am concerned, when I become a composty (that is, die), Gozo can sink under all the concrete being piled onto it. However, I am trying to ensure that future generations will perhaps still be able to experience the Gozo I know and love.
I am certainly not a pre-war self-appointed messiah (what a lovely expression), however, for your information, democratic countries do expropriate private property if it is in the national interest, even in modern times. An example are the National Parks in Austria. The concept was proposed in 1971 and the first National Park was officially opened in 1992, and the last in 2002. Obviously huge tracts of land were expropriated to establish these National Parks. Of course the owners were compensated. Today these parks are not only of environmental significance but they are important tourist attractions. Incidentally, in case you are unaware of the fact, Austria is a democracy.
A golf course on Gozo (or Malta for that matter) will not attract many golf tourists. The golfers of my acquaintance holiday in places where they can expect superb food and accommodation as well as the choice of several golf courses.
I commend the owner/developer for his generosity in offering to declare part of his property as a protected “Heritage Park”, but one cannot have a hotel and numerous houses/villas in the middle of a heritage park/nature reserve. By all means upgrade the existing hotel, which is beautiful and unobtrusive, but it is surely not necessary to enlarge it or to increase the present height. This will not create additional jobs – how many Gozitans are actually employed in the hotel business?
Gozo is not, and never will be a five-star destination – the infrastructure is simply not there and the competition from other, far more unspoilt islands and coastal resorts is too great. It could, however, be marketed as a destination for people who would like peace and quiet, who would like to be able to walk and enjoy the magnificent countryside and who would like to explore all the archaeological and historic aspects of the island – ideally from one national park, or nature reserve to another, right around the island. These people are not necessarily the mega-mega-rich, but neither are they without funds. They would create permanent employment in the form of guides, park rangers, and so on. In addition to the normal services required by visitors.
On the other hand, upmarket villas would only provide employment for domestic staff, most of whom would be guest workers from other less fortunate countries.
I suggest Mr Gerada-Azzopardi and the owner travel to America and visit the national parks there – which are all financially self-sufficient and which attract an enormous number of tourists.
Unfortunately most of the coastal areas of Gozo appear to be privately owned – a grave mistake of the various governments in the past. A mistake that should be rectified as soon as possible. Once permission is granted to build on the Ta’ Cenc plateau, Hondoq, Ramla and even Xlendi point will become concrete jungles.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at the upmarket ghetto squatting on top of the once stunning Fort Chambray, or the high-security prison-like hotel sitting in the middle of a field in San Lawrenz.
Gozo is so small and still so beautiful, please lets protect it for future generations while we can.
Lesley G. Kreupl
Permit or No Permit - Letter in Times of Malta
Our decision makers still don't get it, do they? It is beside the point if the permit granted for the Ramla l-Hamra development is above board or not; the point is that we are going to destroy more of our precious countryside. It is even more terrifying if such destruction can be carried out with the approval of the law. If we have laws that make this possible I think that it is high time that we do away with them.
Frank Theuma, Nadur