On the 20th of January 2022, the Marsaskala Local Council met with Minister Ian Borg on the issue of the yacht marina planned by Transport Malta. In this meeting, Minister Borg said that he was not aware of the Local Council’s August 2021 motion against the call for investors in a yacht marina in the bay of Marsaskala, which also states that there should be no private concession for a yacht marina.
The Minister acknowledged that this motion categorically rejects all plans for a yacht marina and proposed that the Council discuss the motion and by mid-February reconsider to allow for a motion that does not completely exclude concession of space to the private sector. He pledged that Transport Malta would not move forward with the second phase of the process until the Local Council’s final position is made clear.
The Council met on the 24th of January and unanimously agreed to uphold its August motion and formally sent notice of this to Minister Borg and Transport Malta.
The motion says that “The Local Council is against the proposal for a yacht marina in Marsaskala, presented in Transport Malta’s pre-qualification document and condemns its publication without consultation with the Marsaskala community. The local council demands that this document be withdrawn immediately and that plans for a yacht marina in Marsaskala be abandoned completely. Transport Malta should launch immediate discussions with the local council, with residents of Marsaskala and with the local associations, for the organisation of existing berths, for the protection of the cultural and social customs of the locality, the protection of the marine environment and for safeguarding the swimming zones of the bay.”
In view of Minister Borg’s pledge to consider the Council’s position before moving on to the second phase of finding investors for the project, we believe that the only remaining path for Minister Borg and Transport Malta is that of withdrawing the call and plans for a yacht marina in Marsaskala. The Local Council has now reiterated its position twice: it is categorically against a yacht marina in its locality’s bay.
During the Local Council’s meeting with Minister Borg, he referred to the possibility that Transport Malta intervenes without private sector investment to repair the breakwaters and organize existing berths. This is in line with what the people want and what residents, fishermen, festa and firework enthusiasts and thousands of others, who have this beach at heart, have called for. We therefore call on Minister Borg to implement this proposal for a public investment in Marsaskala Bay, which will improve and not worsen people’s quality of life and public access.
Since the publication of Transport Malta’s plans last August, people have made it very clear that they do not want the privatization of Marsaskala Bay. Residents and organisations representing fishermen, festa and firework enthusiasts and environmentalists have warned that Transport Malta’s plans for a bay consumed by pontoons, yachts and expansive land reclamation will destroy marine life, threaten the Natura 2000 site of il-Magħluq and destroy the cultural, social and recreational activities which take place around the bay in the heart of Marsaskala.
Marsaskala residents and Maltese people have spoken very clearly: we are suffocated by unbridled development that is ruining our quality of life and our natural environment – we cannot lose bays and coasts essential to our well-being.
Now that the Minister has asked that the Council give its final position before plans for a yacht marina proceed, and the Council has upheld its first motion to categorically oppose these plans, we believe all further plans for a yacht marina must be halted and the proposal withdrawn.
Marsaskala residents have spoken. Will you listen to them or will you serve the interests of the few?
Organisations
Grupp tan-Nar Festa Sant’Anna Wied il-Għajn
Grupp Armar Festa Sant’ Anna Wied il-Għajn
Għaqda Baħħara Sajjieda u Dilettanti Wied il-Għajn
Marsaskala Residents Network
Moviment Graffitti
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Rota
Extinction Rebellion Malta
Friends of the Earth Malta
Nature Trust Malta
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)
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Fl-20 ta’ Jannar 2022, il-Ministru Ian Borg iltaqa’ mal-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Wied il-Għajn dwar il-kwistjoni tal-yacht marina ppjanata minn Transport Malta. Matul din il-laqgħa l-Ministru Borg qal li ma kienx jaf bil-mozzjoni li ħa l-Kunsill f’Awwissu, liema mozzjoni tikkundanna l-ħruġ tas-sejħa għal investituri f’yacht marina fil-bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn u tiddikjara li m’għandu jkun hemm l-ebda tip ta’ konċessjoni lill-privat għal yacht marina.
Il-Ministru għaraf li din il-mozzjoni kienet qed tirrifjuta kategorikament kull yacht marina, u ta ċans sa nofs Frar lill-Kunsill sabiex jerġa’ jiddiskutiha u jikkunsidra li jbiddel il-mozzjoni f’waħda li ma teskludix kompletament l-għotja ta’ konċessjoni lill-privat. Huwa wiegħed li Transport Malta mhux se tgħaddi għat-tieni fażi tal-proċess qabel ikollha l-pożizzjoni finali tal-Kunsill Lokali.
Il-Kunsill iltaqa fl-24 ta’ Jannar u unanimamemt qabel li jżomm il-mozzjoni li ttieħdet f’Awwissu. Din intbagħtet formalment lill-Ministru Borg u lil Transport Malta.
Il-mozzjoni tgħid hekk: “Il-Kunsill ta’ Marsaskala huwa kontra l-proposta mfassla minn Transport Malta fil-pre-qualifiation document tal-yacht marina f’Marsaskala u jikkundanna l-ħruġ ta’ dan id-dokument mingħajr konsultazzjoni mal-komunità ta’ Marsaskala. Il-Kunsill jeżiġi li dan id-dokument għandu jkun irtirat immedjatament u tiġi abbundnata l-idea ta’ konċessjoni ta’ yacht marina f’Marsaskala. Minnufih Transport Malta għandha tidħol f’diskussjonijiet mal-Kunsill u mar-residenti ta’ Marsaskala u l-għaqdiet tal-lokal, għall-organizzazzjoni tal-irmiġġi eżistenti, għall-ħarsien komplut tad-drawwiet kulturali u soċjali tal-lokal, il-ħarsien tal-ambjent marittimu u b’mod li jiġu ssalvagwardjati ż-żoni tal-għawm fil-bajja”.
Fid-dawl tal-wegħda tal-Ministru Borg li se jikkunsidra l-pożizzjoni tal-Kunsill qabel jgħaddi għat-tieni fażi tal-proċess fis-sejba għall-investituri, nemmnu li l-unika triq li fadal għal Ministru Borg u Transport Malta hija dik li jirtiraw is-sejħa u l-pjanijiet għal kull yacht marina f’Wied il-Għajn, hekk kif il-Kunsill ikkonferma darba, tnejn, li huwa kategorikament kontra yacht marina fil-bajja tal-lokalità.
F’din l-istess laqgħa, il-Ministru Borġ irrefera wkoll għax-xenarju fejn Transport Malta tidħol hi direttament, u mingħajr ebda konċessjoni lil privat, sabiex issewwi l-breakwaters u torganizza l-irmiġġi eżistenti. Dan ix-xenarju huwa propju dak li jixtiequ r-residenti, is-sajjieda, id-dilettanti tal-festa u tan-nar, u eluf oħra li għandhom din il-bajja tant għal qalbhom. Għalhekk qed insejħu sabiex il-Ministru Borġ jattwa x-xenarju li semma’ hu stess waqt din il-laqgħa u jsir investiment pubbliku fil-bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn li jtejjeb u mhux jgħarraq il-kwalità tal-ħajja u l-aċċess pubbliku.
Minn mindu ħarġet is-sejħa ta’ Transport Malta f’Awwissu li għadda, in-nies urew biċ-ċar li ma jridux il-privatizzazzjoni tal-bajja ta’ Wied il-Għajn. Residenti u gruppi oħra bħas-sajjieda, dilettanti tal-festa u tan-nar u ambjentalisti wissew li l-pjanijiet ta’ Transport Malta jipprevedu li l-bajja tittieħed għall-pontuni u l-jottijiet, anka permezz ta’ riklamazzjoni kbira tal-art, li ser teqred kwalunkwe ħajja tal-baħar, thedded is-sit tal-Magħluq ta’ Natura 2000 u teqred l-attivitajiet kulturali, soċjali u rikreattivi madwar il-bajja fil-qalba ta’ Wied il-Għajn.
L-Iskalin u l-poplu Malti tkellmu biċ-ċar: diġà ninsabu fgati bi żvilupp bla rażan li qed jherri l-kwalità tal-ħajja u l-ambjent naturali tagħna – ma nistgħux nitilfu wkoll l-bajjiet u l-kosta li tant huma essenzjali għall-benesseri tagħna.
Issa li l-Ministru stess sejjaħ lill-Kunsill sabiex jagħti l-pożizzjoni finali tiegħu qabel jitkompla l-proċess għal yacht marina, u li l-Kunsill żamm ma’ mozzjoni li kategorikament topponi dan il-pjan, nemmnu li l-proċess għandu jitwaqqaf immedjatament u s-sejħa tiġi rtirata.
L-Iskalin tkellmu. Se tisimgħuhom jew se taqdu l-interessi tal-ftit?
Għaqdiet
Grupp tan-Nar Festa Sant’Anna Wied il-Għajn
Grupp Armar Festa Sant’ Anna Wied il-Għajn
Għaqda Baħħara Sajjieda u Dilettanti Wied il-Għajn
Marsaskala Residents Network
Moviment Graffitti
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Rota
Extinction Rebellion Malta
Friends of the Earth Malta
Nature Trust Malta
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)
