Today, we gathered together with Żurrieq farmers, residents, and other groups in front of the Lands Authority, where we held a press conference to call for the immediate halting of an application that seeks to destroy agricultural land still in active use.

In Tal-Bebbux, Żurrieq, the Lands Authority gave its approval for a large stretch of government-owned fields, still cultivated by farmers, to be destroyed for development. The application in question, for a plot of land measuring 11,000 square meters, could only be submitted to the Planning Authority after the Lands Authority granted permission to the developer to proceed.

PC/00068/22 — an application that seeks to allow the construction of a series of buildings and a new road through the fields — can be stopped immediately if the Lands Authority withdraws its consent.

One of the farmers working that government land, Robert Bondin Carter, mentioned how he found a notice posted on the wall instructing him to leave the field, which he and his family had worked for entire generations. Shortly after, he found another notification about the application submitted by a private developer seeking to develop the land for construction, something no one had ever spoken to him about.

He referred not only to his own anger and that of other farmers who genuinely work this land, but also to the thousands of Maltese and Gozitans who formally objected to this application with the Planning Authority.

Robert pointed out how Europe had just issued a warning regarding the need to safeguard food supplies due to the dangerous international situation. He accused the Government of shortsightedness in threatening the local food supply by continuing to prioritise land speculation over the common good.

He concluded by calling on Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, who is standing for election in the Żurrieq district, to take the necessary action to halt this application, and also appealed to the Government, which he described as a “socialist”, to allow farmers to continue their work.

Another farmer working the land, Annalisa Schembri, stated that this is a matter of common sense, of what is just and obvious. She emphasised that the farmer, the citizen, and the Lands Authority, in a just society, should not be on opposing fronts because decisions should be made in favor of the land and the open spaces of our country. She questioned why young farmers should be threatened and lose part of their livelihood simply because a private developer, who owns land adjacent to theirs, decided to extend development onto their land.

Malcolm Borg, from the Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, pointed out how the Lands Authority has a history of making decisions against farmers and has never been willing to engage in honest dialogue to improve the situation for agriculture. He highlighted how Malta came very close to facing a severe food crisis during the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said that during that time, we were playing with fire, and asked, “What are we waiting for, to be burned?” Malcolm stressed that agricultural land can no longer be considered land waiting to be built on, and that cultivation is a matter of the social and common good. 

The press conference concluded with a call for Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and the Lands Authority to immediately stop this application, with the participants insisting that the fight will continue until fields prevail over greed.

The farmers’ call is supported by: 
Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi
Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)
Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Il-Kollettiv
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
The Archaeological Society Malta

******

Raba’ mhux regħba: il-karba tal-bdiewa Żrieraq quddiem l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet

Illum iltqajna mal-bdiewa Żrieraq, mar-residenti, u ma’ gruppi oħra, quddiem il-Lands fejn indirizzajna Konferenza Stampa biex nitolbu li applikazzjoni li trid teqred art agrikola tal-Gvern li għadha tinħadem tiġi mwaqqfa minnufih.

F’Tal-Bebbux, iż-Żurrieq, l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet tat l-approvazzjoni tagħha biex medda kbira ta’ għelieqi tal-Gvern li għadhom jinħadmu mill-bdiewa jinqerdu għall-iżvilupp. L-applikazzjoni inkwistjoni, fuq medda t’art ta’ 11,000 metru kwadru, setgħet tiġi sottomessa mal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biss wara li l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet tat il-permess tagħha lill-iżviluppatur jagħmel dan.

PC/00068/22 — applikazzjoni li se tippermetti l-bini ta’ ċapep ta’ bini u triq ġdida minn ġor-raba’ — tista’ tiġi mwaqqfa issa billi l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet tirtira l-kunsens tagħha.

Wieħed mill-bdiewa li jaħdmu dik l-art tal-Gvern, Robert Bondin Carter, semma kif sab avviż imwaħħal mal-ħajt biex jitlaq mir-raba’ li hu u l-familja ilhom jaħdmu għal ġenerazzjonjiet sħaħ. Wara ftit, sab imwaħħla notifika tal-applikazzjoni minn żviluppatur privat li qed tfittex li titfaħ dik l-art għall-bini, li ħadd qatt ma kien kellmu dwarha. 

Huwa rrefera, mhux biss għar-rabja tiegħu u ta’ bdiewa oħra li ġenwinament jaħdmu din ir-raba’, imma wkoll ta’ eluf ta’ Maltin u Għawdxin li oġġezzjonaw formalment mal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar kontra din l-applikazzjoni. 

Robert semma kif l-Ewropa għadha kemm ħarġet twissija biex naħsbulu għall-ikel minħabba l-qagħda internazzjonali perikoluża. Huwa akkuża lill-Gvern li qed jara sal-ponta ta’ mnieħru u jhedded il-provvista ta’ ikel lokali billi jibqa’ jagħżel li jagħti prijorità lir-regħba flok il-ġid komuni. 

Huwa spiċċa billi appella lill-Ministru Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, li joħroġ għall-elezzjoni fuq id-distrett taż-Żurrieq, sabiex jieħu l-azzjoni meħtieġa ħalli titwaqqaf din l-applikazzjoni, u appella ukoll lill-Gvern, li huwa ddeskriva bħala “Gvern soċjalista tal-ħaddiema”, sabiex iħalli lill-bdiewa jaħdmu.

Bidwija oħra li taħdem dik l-art, Annalisa Schembri, qalet li din hija sitwazzjoni ta’ sens komun, ta’ x’inhu ġust u x’inhu ovvju. Hija saħqet li l-bidwi, iċ-ċittadin u l-l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, f’soċjetà ġusta, ma għandhomx għaliex ikunu fuq front oppost għaliex id-deċiżjonijiet suppost jittieħdu favur l-art u l-ispazji miftuħa ta’ pajjiżna. Hija staqsiet għaliex bdiewa żgħażagħ għandhom ikunu mhedda u jitilfu parti mill-għajxien tagħhom sempliċiment għaliex żviluppatur privat, li għandu l-art maġenbhom, iddeċieda li jestendi l-iżvilupp fuq l-art tagħhom.

Malcolm Borg, mill-Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, semma kif l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet għandha storja li tieħu deċiżjonijiet kontra l-bdiewa u qatt ma kienet lesta għal djalogu biex ittejjeb is-sitwazzjoni tal-biedja. Huwa semma kif Malta kienet qrib ħafna li taffaċċja kriżi severa tal-ikel matul il-pandemija u matul l-invażjoni tar-Russja fl-Ukrajna. Huwa qal li f’dak iż-żmien lgħabna man-nar, u staqsa “x’qed nistennew, li ninħarqu?”. Malcolm saħaq li l-art tal-biedja ma tistax tibqa’ tiġi kkunsidrata bħala art li qed tistenna biex tinbena, u li l-kultivazzjoni hija kwistjoni ta’ ġid soċjali u tal-komunità.

Il-Konferenza Stampa ntemmet bl-appell biex il-Ministru Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi u l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet iwaqqfu minnfuh din l-applikazzjoni, u li l-ġlieda se tkompli sakemm ir-raba’ tirbaħ fuq ir-regħba. 

Is-sejħa tal-bdiewa hija appoġġjata minn:
Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi
Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)
Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Il-Kollettiv
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
The Archaeological Society Malta