Marsascala residents DESERVE and have a RIGHT to be consulted widely and authentically on the FUTURE of THEIR locality. Major ‘developments’ are being proposed for Marsascala – from the Jerma remake to yet another water polo pitch – and residents are constantly being ignored by the authorities. We are left with no other option than voicing our concerns in this press conference.
Almost a year ago, the mayor announced a sub-committee for the regeneration of Marsascala. The people forming this sub-committee were chosen by the mayor himself, and for over two years, had been meeting and working on a variety of proposals for Marsascala behind closed doors. This sub-committee was chaired by Mr Ray Abela. Other members included his cousin Mr Eric Abela, with business interests in the Marsascala square and surroundings, Mr Joseph Farrell, also with business interests in the Marsascala square, Ms Angele Abela, head of a Minister’s secretariat, and the mayor himself. This sub-committee was found to be functioning behind residents’ backs, with no terms of reference, and illegally headed by a chairperson who was not a member of the local council. Significantly, this sub-committee was liaising directly with other government agencies, including the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Infrastructure Malta.
Proposals discussed by this sub-committee included plans to pedestrianise the area in front of the proposed boutique hotel owned by Eric Abela near Ġnien Sant’ Anna. This would see the redirection of traffic into and out of Marsascala from Triq Santa Tereża, right beneath the public school and in front of the parish church, exposing this community area to high levels of traffic danger. Other plans included the taking over of the existing concrete hard-standing facility beneath the parish church currently used by boat owners during the winter season and by the general public and local clubs during the summer season. Under the guise of ‘embellishment’, take-up of this area would necessitate another concrete hard standing facility to be constructed on the other side of the bay, possibly involving land reclamation with unknown environmental consequences, and further take-up of Marsascala Bay. We think this is designed to satisfy the private interests of the few. The subcommittee was dissolved following residents’ pressure on the local council, with the mayor’s premise that these same people can still push their ideas through different channels.
Not having achieved their plans through the subcommittee, we have strong reason to suspect that they are now choosing another channel – that of the MTA, currently headed by Johann Buttigieg, known for his strong links to business interests. On the 22nd May 2021, the MTA launched the Marsascala Regeneration Design Contest with a vision for the upgrade and urban regeneration of the areas mentioned above. Residents are concerned with direct references to words like ‘upgrades’ and ‘developments’ within this same proposal. In the past, such references meant mass-development plans that would forever ruin the character of our village.
Marsascala has been making headlines with several developments presented as ‘upgrades’ for the locality, including the massive apartment complex proposed for the ex-Jerma site, the infamous American University of Malta campus at Żonqor, and topping them all, the construction of a third water polo site handed over by government through secret deals to the water polo club. These decisions were taken without community consultation. All these projects involve the take-up of public assets handed over to a couple of business interests and threaten the fabric of our community, shrinking the few remaining public spaces for our enjoyment. We have reason to fear that this ‘design contest’ is a continuation of the pattern whereby business interests acting behind the scenes are accommodated at the expense of our quality of life, wellbeing and environmental assets.
We value our quality of life, the relatively quiet character of our village and our community, and do not subscribe to the mantra of ‘development at all cost’. These projects and others are a detriment to many, and we feel ignored but are determined to be heard. Our land, our air and our sea are being polluted and traded off for profiteering and nothing is done to address the problems of new developments in our community. Our quality of life is fast declining and Marsascala is treading on the same development pattern we have seen in other localities such as Paceville, Buġibba and St Paul’s Bay, clear examples of poor planning writ large.
Marsascala should not be subjected to a ‘competition’ issued by the MTA or any other entity. Such long-term plans should be done holistically, in full consultation with residents, and be fully transparent. We therefore REQUEST a suitably long and open period of consultation whereby Marsascala residents of all ages and backgrounds will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and make suggestions as to what should feed into a Marsascala Holistic Plan. EVERY opportunity needs to be created for ANY interested resident and visitor to communicate aspirations and ideas in various fora, for these to be appropriately considered and evaluated in the act of drawing up plans for Marsascala’s future.
On the 9th of June, the Prime Minister declared the Environment to be the most crucial pillar out of five for Malta’s development over the next decade. Is this yet another episode of buzzwords thrown at us when it suits the political calculus, or the beginnings of a long-overdue change? We encourage our Prime Minister, a long-time resident of Marsascala, to seize this opportunity, and to ask local councils and authorities to seriously listen to the citizens that he and his team were elected to serve.
The Press Conference was addressed by:
Mr John Baptist Camilleri – minority leader in the Marsaskala Local Council and long-time resident
Ms Theresa Hoban – Marsascala resident and lecturer in Marketing and Tourism
Ms Marianne Theuma – Marsascala resident and educator
Dr John Paul Cauchi – Marsascala resident, Moviment Graffitti activist and environmental health specialist
Prof Godfrey Baldacchino – Marsascala resident and Sociologist
Residenti inkwetati dwar il-Kompetizzjoni tad-Disinn tal-MTA għar-riġenerazzjoni ta’ Wied il-Għajn
Ir-residenti ta’ Wied il-Għajn JIXIRQILHOM u għandhom id-DRITT li jiġu kkonsultati b’mod miftuħ u xieraq dwar il-FUTUR tal-lokalità TAGĦHOM. Attwalment qed jiġu proposti ‘żviluppi’ kbar f’Wied il-Għajn – ix-xogħol fuq il-Jerma u l-bini ta’ spazju ieħor għall-water polo – u l-awtoritajiet kontinwament jinjoraw it-tħassib tar-residenti. M’għandniex għażla oħra għalhekk, ħlief li nwasslu t-tħassib tagħna f’din il-konferenza stampa.
Madwar sena ilu, is-sindku ħabbar sotto-kumitat għar-riġenerazzjoni ta’ Wied il-Għajn. Il-membri ta’ dan is-sotto-kumitat intgħażlu mis-sindku nnifsu u kienu ilhom jiltaqgħu u jaħdmu fuq proposti varji għal Wied il-Għajn sentejn sħaħ minn wara dahar il-poplu. Is-sotto-kumitat kien presedut mis-Sur Ray Abela. Membri oħra kienu l-kuġin tiegħu, is-Sur Eric Abela, b’interessi kummerċjali fil-pjazza ta’ Wied il-Għajn u postijijet oħra qrib, is-Sur Joseph Farrell, ukoll b’interessi kummerċjali fil-pjazza ta’ Wied il-Għajn, is-Sinjura Angele Abela, kap tas-segretarjat ta’ Ministru, u s-sindku nniffsu. Dan is-sotto-kumitat kien qed jopera minn wara dahar ir-residenti mingħajr termini ta’ referenza u kien presedut illegalment minn persuna li mhix membru tal-kunsill lokali. Niġbdu l-attenzjoni wkoll għall-fatt, li dan is-sotto-kumitat kien anki qed jaħdem ma’ aġenziji oħra tal-gvern, inkluż l-Awtorità tat-Turiżmu ta’ Malta (MTA) u Infrastruttura Malta.
Il-proposti li ddiskuta dan is-sotto-kumitat inkludew pjanijiet għal żona pedonali quddiem il-lukanda boutique ta’ Eric Abela, ħdejn il-Ġnien Sant’ Anna. Dan ifisser li t-traffiku dieħel u ħiereġ minn Wied il-Għajn ikollu jibda jgħaddi minn Triq Santa Tereża, qrib l-iskola, u minn quddiem il-knisja parrokkjali, u b’hekk jesponi l-komunità għal perikli tat-traffiku kbar. Pjanijiet oħra inkludew it-teħid tas-simenta ta’ taħt il-knisja, li fix-xitwa tintuża għad-dgħajjes u fis-sajf mill-pubbliku u l-każini lokali. Sforz l-hekk imsejjaħ ‘tisbiħ’, se jkollu jinbena spazju tal-konkrit ieħor fuq in-naħa l-oħra tal-bajja, x’aktarx billi tittieħed iktar art mill-bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn u b’konsegwenzi għadhom mhux magħrufa fuq l-ambjent. Dan kollu biex nissodisfaw l-interessi ta’ ċirku żgħir ta’ individwi. Is-sotto-kumitat xoljewh grazzi għall-pressjoni tar-residenti fuq il-kunsill lokali iżda l-pożizzjoni tas-sindku baqgħet li l-istess nies ikomplu jgħaddu l-ideat tagħhom b’modi oħra.
Billi ma waslux fejn riedu bis-sotto-kumitat, għandna suspetti serji li issa se jippruvaw jaslu permezz tal-MTA, li attwalment imexxiha Johann Buttigieg, magħruf għar-rabtiet tiegħu mal-interessi kummerjċali. Fit-22 ta’ Mejju 2021, l-MTA ħabbret il-Kompetizzjoni tad-Disinn tagħha għar-riġenerazzjoni ta’ Wied il-Għajn, bl-iskop tat-titjib urban fiż-żoni msemmija. Ir-residenti jinsabu inkwetati dwar l-użu ta’ kliem bħal ‘upgrades’ u ‘developments’ f’din l-istess proposta. Kif uriena sew il-passat, proposti bħal dawn iwasslu għal żviluppi esaġerati li qerdu jew se jeqirdu l-karattru tar-raħal tagħna.
Wied il-Għajn kien qiegħed ikun ta’ spiss fl-aħbarijiet minħabba l-bosta żviluppi proposti għat-“titjib” tal-lokalità, inkluż pereżempju l-proposta għal kumpless massiv ta’ appartamenti fejn hemm il-Jerma, il-famuż campus taż-Żonqor għall-Università Amerikana ta’ Malta, u issa l-bini tat-tielet spazju għall-water polo, art mogħtija mill-gvern wara ftehim sigriet mal-club tal-water polo. Dawn id-deċiżjonijiet ittieħdu mingħajr konsultazzjoni mal-komunità. Kollha jinvolvu t-teħid ta’ assi pubbliċi mogħtija għall-interessi kummerċjali tal-ftit, jheddu n-nisġa tal-komunità tagħna u jaħtfu l-ftit spazji pubbliċi li fadlilna xi ngwadu. Għandna biżżejjed raġunijiet biex nibżgħu li din il-kompetizzjoni tad-disinn miexja fuq l-istess tendenzi li rajna s’issa, fejn l-interessi kummerċjali tal-ftit jaħdmu minn wara l-kwinti u jiġu aġevolati filwaqt li l-kwalità tal-ħajja, il-benesseri u l-assi ambjentali tagħna jkomplu jitfaqqru.
Aħna ngħożżu l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna, il-karattru relattivament kwiet tar-raħal u tal-komunità tagħna u ma naqblux mal-mantra ta’ ‘żvilupp akkost ta’ kollox’. Dawn il-proġetti u proġetti oħra magħhom huma ta’ ħsara għal ħafna u nħossuna injorati iżda beħsiebna nsemmgħu leħinna. L-art, l-arja u l-baħar tagħna qed ikomplu jitniġġsu u jingħataw għall-profitt, u xejn mhu qed isir biex jiġu indirizzati l-problemi tal-iżviluppi l-ġodda fil-komunità tagħna. Il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna qed titmermer b’rata mgħaġġla. Wied il-Għajn qed jiffaċċja l-istess tendenzi li rajna f’lokalitajiet oħra bħal Paceville, Buġibba u San Pawl il-Baħar, eżempji ċari kristall ta’ pjanar fallut.
Wied il-Għajn m’għandux ikun is-suġġett ta’ ‘kompetizzjoni’ tal-MTA jew kwalunkwe entità oħra. Pjanijiet fit-tul iridu jsiru b’mod olistiku u b’konsultazzjoni sħiħa mar-residenti, filwaqt li jkunu kompletament trasparenti. NITOLBU għalhekk perjodu ta’ konsultazzjoni twil u miftuħ fejn ir-residenti ta’ Wied il-Għajn ta’ kull età u qasam tal-ħajja jingħataw iċ-ċans li jwasslu t-tħassib u s-suġġerimenti tagħhom għal Pjan Olistiku għal Wied il-Għajn. Għandha tinħoloq KULL opportunità possibbli għal KULL resident jew viżitatur li jikkomunikaw l-aspirazzjonijiet u l-ideat tagħom f’diversi fora, u li dawn jitqiesu u jiġu evalwati huma u jitfasslu l-pjanijiet għall-ġejjieni ta’ Wied il-Għajn.
Fid-9 ta’ Ġunju, il-Prim Ministru ddikjara l-Ambjent bħala wieħed mill-ħames pilastri kruċjali għall-iżvilupp ta’ Malta fl-għaxar snin li ġejjin. Din hija biss kelma oħra mill-ħafna li jitfgħu bl-addoċċ meta jaqbel l-interess politiku tagħhom jew il-bidla wisq mistennija? Inħeġġu lill-Prim Ministru, li ilu resident ta’ Wied il-Għajn għal bosta snin, biex jieħu din l-opportunità u jitlob lill-kunsilli lokali u l-awtoritajiet biex jibdew jagħtu widen liċ-ċittadini li hu u l-kollegi tiegħu nħatru biex jaqdu.
Il-Konferenza Stampa ġiet indirizzat minn:
Is-Sur John Baptist Camilleri – kap tal-minoranza fil-kunsill lokali ta’ Wied il-Għajn u resident minn dejjem
Is-Sinjura Theresa Hoban – residenta ta’ Wied il-Għan u lecturer tal-Marketing u t-Turiżmu
Is-Sinjura Marianne Theuma – residenta ta’ Wied il-Għajn u edukatriċi
Dr John Paul Cauchi – resident ta’ Wied il-Għajn, attivist mal-Moviment Graffitti u speċjalista tas-saħħa ambjentali
Prof Godfrey Baldacchino – resident ta’ Wied il-Għajn u Soċjologu
