People gather for the third time in three weeks to defend Marsaskala from the greed of the few
Marsaskala residents and concerned citizens of Malta and Gozo have gathered for the third time in three weeks to express their anger at Transport Malta’s plans for a Yacht Marina in the locality. The protest swim held this afternoon sends a clear message that the people will not accept being robbed of their ever-dwindling public spaces that are vital for their health, recreation, cultural activities, natural environment and quality of life.
Since the release of Transport Malta’s plans for transforming Marsaskala Bay into a huge parking lot for yachts, a public outcry against the project has elicited from the authorities only half-baked excuses. The authorities have also ploughed ahead with their plans and refused to accede to the people’s request for the withdrawal of the call for investors in the yacht marina project. Instead, they released ambiguous statements about inexistent consultation processes. This is clearly a tactic to dampen the widespread opposition to the yacht marina whilst going ahead with the implementation of the project. The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), which was issued behind everyone’s back and without any prior discussions with residents and other stakeholders, can in no way be considered a consultation process since it is a call for investors in which the people have no say. Moreover, the PQQ document includes a detailed drawing and specifications for the yacht marina, contradicting claims that no hard plans exist as yet.
Transport Malta’s plans are shocking. They envisage the total takeover of Marsaskala Bay by pontoons and pleasure boats as well as large-scale land reclamation, effectively leading to the obliteration of marine life in the bay, threatening the Natura 2000 site of Il-Magħluq and displacing all recreational, cultural and social activities around the bay, which lies at the heart of Marsaskala. It is also worrying that the plans for a yacht marina form part of larger plans for the intensive development and the complete commercialisation of Marsaskala. The Planning Authority has approved a Development Brief for the Jerma site which increases the developable volume to double that of the current site and allows the developer to build around 170 apartments. A massive waterpolo pitch with commercial facilities has recently been approved in the middle of the narrow Marsaskala Bay after the privatisation of the Żonqor area, which includes the existing waterpolo club, to the Sadeen Group. The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has also launched a so-called ‘Design Contest’ as a cover-up for already-drawn plans that aim to satisfy specific business interests around Marsaskala Bay. In view of this hidden masterplan, tailor-made for the few fat cats whilst choking the rest of us, no one should be surprised that the people are saying a big “no” to the yacht marina project. This is not about the people saying “no” to everything. It’s about the people rightfully defending their quality of life and their natural environment from the greed of the few.
Malta and Gozo already find themselves in a dire situation due to the unabashed greed in the planning and construction sector. The people have had enough. No yacht marina, in any form or shape, is acceptable in the narrow Marsaskala creek. We won’t be fooled by hollow statements about “consultation” and “listening to the public’s concern”. The people demand the immediate withdrawal of Transport Malta’s document and the definitive cancellation of all plans for a Yacht Marina in Marsaskala. The fight will not stop until then.
Residenti u attivisti jgħumu kontra l-marina f’Wied il-Għajn
Il-poplu jinġabar għat-tielet darba fi żmien tliet ġimgħat biex jiddefendi lil Wied il-Għajn mir-regħba tal-ftit
Ir-residenti ta’ Wied il-Għajn u ċ-ċittadini inkwetati ta’ Malta u Għawdex ingħaqdu għat-tielet darba fi żmien tliet ġimgħat sabiex jesprimu r-rabja tagħhom kontra l-pjanijiet ta’ Transport Malta għal yacht marina fil-lokalità. L-għawma ta’ protesta saret waranofsinhar illum biex tibgħat messaġġ ċar li n-nies mhux ser jaċċettaw li jkompli għaddej is-serq tal-ftit spazji pubbliċi li fadlilhom u li huma vitali għas-saħħa, ir-rikreazzjoni, l-attivitajiet kulturali, l-ambjent naturali u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom.
Il-pjanijiet ta’ Transport Malta li tibdel il-Bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn f’parkeġġ enormi għall-jottijiet qanqlet l-għajta kbira tal-pubbliku u mal-protesti bdew ħerġin ukoll il-ġustifikazzjonijiet fjakki tal-awtoritajiet. L-awtoritajiet madanakollu xorta baqgħu għaddejjin bil-pjanijiet u naqsu milli jilqgħu t-talba tal-pubbliku li titħassar is-sejħa għall-investituri fil-proġett tal-yacht marina. Ħarġu minflok stqarrijiet ambigwi dwar proċessi ta’ konsultazzjoni ineżistenti. Huwa ċar li din tattika maħsuba biex timminimizza l-oppożizzjoni mifruxa għall-proġett tal-yacht marina filwaqt li tkompli għaddejja l-implimentazzjoni tiegħu. Il-Kwestjonarju ta’ Qabel il-Kwalifikazzjoni, li tnieda minn wara dahar kulħadd u mingħajr diskussjoni preliminari mar-residenti u partijiet interessati oħra, ma jistax jitqies bħala proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni għaliex huwa biss sejħa għall-investituri li fiha l-pubbliku m’għandux vuċi. Barra minn hekk, il-Kwestjonarju jinkludi disinn dettaljat u speċifikazzjonijiet għall-yacht marina u jikkontradixxi b’hekk l-istqarrija li pjanijiet fissi ma hemmx.
Il-pjanijiet ta’ Transport Malta xukkanti. Qegħdin jipprevedu li jieħdu l-Bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn kollha għall-pontuni u l-jottijiet kif ukoll riklamazzjoni kbira tal-art, li ser teqred kwalunkwe ħajja tal-baħar, thedded is-sit tal-Magħluq ta’ Natura 2000 u teqred ukoll l-attivitajiet kulturali, soċjali u rikreattivi madwar il-bajja fil-qalba ta’ Wied il-Għajn. Inkwetanti wkoll li l-pjanijiet tal-yacht marina ta’ Wied il-Għajn jagħmlu parti minn pjanijiet ta’ żvilupp intensiv u l-kummerċjalizzazzjoni sħiħa ta’ Wied il-Għajn. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar approvat ‘Development Brief’ għas-sit tal-Jerma li jżid il-volum ta’ żvilupp b’doppju għal dak li hemm issa u jippermetti l-bini ta’ 170 appartament. F’nofs il-Bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn, ġiet approvata reċentement ukoll il-pitch tal-waterpolo u l-faċilitajiet kummerċjali li jmorru magħha. Dan wara l-għoti taż-żona taż-Żonqor, li tinkludi l-klabb tal-waterpolo li hemm bħalissa, lill-Grupp Sadeen. L-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu (MTA) nediet ukoll ‘Kompetizzjoni tad-Disinn’ biex taħbi pjanijiet li ilhom li tfasslu u li jissodisfaw biss interessi kummerċjali speċifiċi madwar il-Bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn. Fid-dawl ta’ dan il-masterplan li sar bil-moħbi u li tfassal biex ikompli jħaxxen il-but tal-ftit filwaqt li jifga lill-bqija tan-nies, ma għandha tkun sorpriża għal ħadd li n-nies qegħdin jgħidu ‘le’ għall-proġett tal-marina. Din mhix kwistjoni li n-nies jgħidu ‘le’ għal kollox. In-nies qegħdin jiddefendu d-dritt tagħhom għall-kwalità tal-ħajja u għall-abmjent naturali mir-regħba tal-ftit.
Ir-regħba bla rażan fis-settur tal-ippjanar u l-kostruzzjoni tefgħu lil Malta u Għawdex f’sitwazzjoni kerha. In-nies imxebba’. L-ebda yacht marina fi kwalunkwe għamla ma hija aċċettabbli fil-Bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn. M’aħniex ser nibilgħu stqarrijiet vojta dwar ‘konsultazzjoni’ jew li ‘t-tħassib tal-pubbliku qed jingħata widen’. In-nies jitolbu għalhekk li jitħassru immedjament id-dokument ta’ Transport Malta u l-pjanijiet kollha għal yacht marina f’Wied il-Għajn. Il-ġlieda mhix sa tieqaf hawn.
