Ten NGOs condemn the deceptive public consultation exercise issued by the Planning Authority at the end of November, which under the guise of extending ODZ land, aims in reality to change the Ħal Far Local Plan to accommodate the secret agreement entered into between three government agencies and the Ħal Far Model Flying Association in February 2022.

This agreement had transferred public land for the building of an airstrip for model aeroplanes in Wied Żnuber, in an area currently designated for industrial development. Among the proposed amendments put forward by this public consultation exercise one finds “To consider the allocation of a minor portion of the site shown in MAP 1 for low-impact sports” and “To provide policy guidelines on the future use and development parameters of the low-impact sports area.”

The public is urged to show its disagreement with this proposal by sending an email to halfar.review@pa.org.mt by Thursday 21 December.

It is clear that the primary aim of these proposed changes to the Local Plan is that of paving the way for the development of an airstrip for model aeroplanes that is, so far, not a type of development allowed by the Local Plan for the area. It is unacceptable that the Local Plan is changed to accommodate a specific agreement, signed behind everyone’s back and without any public consultation, rather than via an exercise that seeks the common good, environmental protection, and sound planning. This makes a farce out of the whole planning process.

The organisations also note that the map provided by the consultation exercise does not show which part would become ODZ and which part will be allocated for a vague and undefined “low-impact sports”.

As has been repeatedly highlighted by the Birżebbuġa community and NGOs supporting their demands, a miniature airstrip will impact residents severely as they will lose the present peace of Wied Żnuber for the entertainment of the few. Wied Żnuber is one of the few remaining natural sites in Birżebbuġa and its surroundings; a place that is already burdened with over development that has negatively impacted the quality of life.

The place in question contains many precious historic remains, such as the prehistoric dolmen and the military shelter, as well as the protected fauna and flora of an increasingly endangered habitat – garigue and rock habitats where rainwater ponds form. The site is also adjacent to a Natura 2000 site where shearwaters nest and serves as a buffer zone between this protected site and surrounding factories. A miniature airstrip in the area, besides taking undeveloped land, will pollute the entire area with loud noise and light.

Regardless of the size of the land taken by the airstrip, flying noisy model aeroplanes from this site over a larger area will have a very invasive impact on all of the valley, the cliffs, and the sea.

The NGOs reiterate that, as had been promised by the Prime Minister in the run-up to the March 2022 general elections, all of the area which forms part of the Wied Żnuber valley should become ODZ so as to protect both the natural environment of the area as well as the quality of life of Birżebbuġa residents and visitors.

Organisations
Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa
Għaqda Residenti Żurrieq
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Friends of the Earth Malta
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers’ Association Malta
Għawdix

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Eżerċizzju ta’ konsultazzjoni qarrieq mistenni jwitti t-triq għal airstrip għall-ajruplani mudelli f’Wied Żnuber

Għaxar organizzazzjonijiet jikkudannaw il-konsultazzjoni pubblika qarrieqa li tnediet mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fl-aħħar ta’ Novembru, li bl-iskuża li se tiġi estiża l-art ODZ, fil-fatt l-għan tagħha huwa li tbiddel il-Pjan Lokali ta’ Ħal Far biex taġevola l-ftehim sigriet li sar bejn tliet aġenziji tal-gvern u l-Assoċjazzjoni tat-Titjir tal-Mudelli tal-Ajruplani ta’ Ħal Far fi Frar tal-2022.

Dan il-ftehim kien trasferixxa art pubblika għall-bini ta’ airstrip għall-mudelli tal-ajruplani f’Wied Żnuber, f’żona li bħalissa hija mmarkata għal żvilupp industrijali. Fost it-tibdil propost f’din il-konsultazzjoni insibu, “Biex tiġi kkunsidrata l-allokazzjoni ta’ parti minuri tas-sit kif jidher fuq il-Mappa numru 1għal sport b’impatt baxx” u “Biex jiġu provduti linji gwida għall-politika dwar l-użu futur u l-parametri tal-iżvilupp taż-żona tal-isport b’impatt baxx”.

Il-pubbliku huwa mħeġġeġ juri d-diżapprovazzjoni tiegħu għal din il-proposta billi jibgħat email fuq halfar.review@pa.org.mt sal-Ħamis, 21 ta’ Diċembru.

Huwa ċar li l-għan prinċipali ta’ dawn il-bidliet proposti fil-Pjan Lokali huwa dak li jwitti t-triq għall-iżvilupp ta’ airstrip għall-ajruplani mudelli, li s’issa, mhux tip ta’ żvilupp li jippermetti l-Pjan Lokali taż-żona. Huwa inaċċettabbli li l-Pjan Lokali jiġi mibdul biex jaġevola ftehim speċifiku, iffirmat wara dahar kulħadd u mingħajr ebda konsultazzjoni pubblika, minflok permezz ta’ eżerċizzju li jfittex il-ġid komuni, il-ħarsien tal-ambjent, u pjanar sod. Dan jagħmel farsa sħiħa mill-proċess tal-ippjanar. 

L-organizzazzjonijiet jinnutaw ukoll li l-mappa provduta mill-eżerċizzju ta’ konsultazzjoni ma tindikax liema parti se ssir ODZ u liema parti se tkun allokata għal dan “l-isport ta’ impatt baxx” li tħalla vag u ma ġiex identifikat.

Bħal ma ġie spjegat iktar minn darba mill-komunità ta’ Birżebbuġa u mill-organizzazzjonijiet li qegħdin jappoġġjawhom, din l-airstrip se tħalli impatt enormi fuq ir-residenti għax se jkunu qegħdin jitilfu l-paċi li teżisti bħalissa f’Wied Żnuber għat-tgawdija tal-ftit.  Wied Żnuber huwa wieħed mill-ftit siti naturali li għad baqa’ ġewwa Birżebbuġa u l-madwar; lokal li diġa huwa mgħobbi bi żvilupp żejjed li ħalla impatt negattiv fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja.  

Fil-post in kwistjoni hemm diversi siti storiċi prezzjużi, bħad-dolmen preistoriku u x-xelter militari, kif ukoll il-fawna u l-flora protetta ta’ abitat li kull ma jmur qiegħed ikun mhedded – xagħri u blat fejn l-ilma tax-xita jifforma għadajjar. Iż-żona tinsab ukoll fejn sit ta’ Natura 2000 fejn iċ-ċief jagħmel il-bejtiet u sservi bħala buffer bejn dan is-sit protett u l-fabbriki tal-madwar. Airstrip minjatura fiż-żona, apparti li se tieħu art mhux żviluppata, se tkun qed tniġġeż l-inħawi bl-istorbju u d-dwal.

Irrispettivament mid-daqs tal-art li se tieħu din l-airstrip, it-titjir ta’ ajruplani mudelli storbjużi minn dan is-sit fuq medda ikbar, se jkollha impatt invażiv kbir fuq il-wied, l-irdumijiet u l-baħar.

L-organizzazzjonijiet jisħqu li, hekk kif kien imwiegħed mill-Prim Ministru qabel l-elezzjonijiet ġenerali ta’ Marzu 2022, il-medda ta’ art kollha li tagħmel parti minn Wied Żnuber għandha ssir ODZ biex tipproteġi l-ambjent naturali taż-żona kif ukoll il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa u ta’ dawk li jżuruh.  

Organizzazzjonijiet
Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa
Għaqda Residenti Żurrieq
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Friends of the Earth Malta
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Ramblers’ Association Malta
Għawdix