Fact Check: Tal-Bebbux
[MT-EN] Ir-Residenti taż-Żurrieq iwieġbu għad-dikjarazzjoni tal-Ministeru għall-Artijiet fid-dawl ta’ dak li qed jiġri f’Tal-Bebbux.
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Tal-Bebbux, iż-Żurrieq. Ritratt: Eric Bartolo
Ir-Residenti taż-Żurrieq jirreferu għad-dikjarazzjoni maħruġa mill-Ministeru għall-Artijiet nhar l-Erbgħa, 23 ta’ April, fir-rigward tal-istqarrija tagħna tal-istess data flimkien ma’ gruppi oħra tar-residenti. Fid-dawl ta’ numru ta’ ineżattezzi f’dik id-dikjarazzjoni, kif ukoll l-arja ġenerali ta’ miżinformazzjoni fin-narrativa tal-Ministeru, ħassejna li kien doveruż niċċaraw numru ta’ fatti.
1. Imkien fl-istqarrija tagħna ma għedna li l-Gvern bidel il-pożizzjoni tiegħu fuq il-kwistjoni f’Tal-Bebbux. Li għedna kien li l-Ministru Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi kien intervjena lejliet il-konferenza stampa li għamilna f’Ġunju 2024, u bid-dikjarazzjoni tiegħu dwar “użu għall-komunità” ta l-impressjoni li l-proġett kien ġie rtirat. Tul din is-sena ta’ skiet, il-pjanti ġew emendati iżda s-sitwazzjoni se tibqa’ eżattament l-istess. Il-fatt li Zrinzo Azzopardi qed jinsisti li l-art mhux se tinbiegħ lill-privat huwa logħob bil-kliem; il-bdiewa xorta se jitilfu arthom u meded kbar ta’ ODZ se jiġu żviluppati xorta waħda għall-benefiċċju tal-privat.
2. Fid-dikjarazzjoni l-Ministeru qal li tkellem mal-Kunsill (u mhux mal-bdiewa u mar-residenti) u b’hekk saret reviżjoni tal-pjanti. Sa issa, ma jidhrilniex li l-Kunsill Lokali se jirtira l-oġġezzjoni tiegħu għal PC/00068/23.
3. L-idea ta’ “użu komunitarju” kienet ukoll tressqet minn kunsillier tal-PL li kien tkellem dwar dar tal-anzjani fl-inħawi tal-Bebbux. Il-liġijiet tal-ippjanar jippermettu l-bini ta’ strutturi bħal dawn, inklużi kumplessi sportivi u skejjel, f’ODZ. Proġetti bħal dawn jeħtieġu infrastruttura fosthom toroq, servizzi tal-ilma u tal-elettriku, parkeġġ; wara li tali “bini komunitarju” u l-infrastruttura tiegħu jkunu nbnew – speċjalment bid-diżinn tat-toroq li joforqu l-għelieqi fi tnejn - iż-żona ma tibqax ODZ iżda tiġi żviluppabbli.
4. Filwaqt li l-Gvern għadu ma ta ebda dettall fuq x’tip ta’ użu komunitarju qed jipprevedi għal tal-Bebbux, mhuwiex ċar għalfejn għandhom jinqerdu għelieqi tajbin għal dan il-bini.
5. Nistgħu nikkonfermaw ukoll dak li qalulna numru ta’ residenti fil-ġimgħat li għaddew, jiġifieri, li l-Ministeru għall-Artijiet qagħad jisforza ruħu jieħu ritratti mill-ajru biex igiddeb lill-bdiewa u jipprova jgħid li l-art mhijiex tinħadem. Anke hawn il-Gvern huwa kompliċi ta’ spekulazzjoni: biex tkun taf l-art hijiex tajba, ir-ritratti tiġbidhom fi żmien il-ħsad. Biex Il-Ministru ma jkollu ebda dubju fuq dak li se jinqered, qed inwasslu xi ritratti tal-ħidma tal-bdiewa f’dawk l-għelieqi.
6. Il-Pjanijiet Lokali tal-2006 jibqgħu jintużaw bħala skuża biex isir kull tip ta’ żvilupp, mingħajr ma jkun ċar il-ħtieġa tiegħu. Iż-Żurrieq u l-irħula madwarhom se jintlaqtu l-agħar minn dawn iż-żoni ta’ rationalisation, iżda filwaqt li l-Gvern qed jara kif jagħmel biex jibdel Local Plans f’partijiet oħra ta’ Malta biex jippermetti iżjed żvilupp, ma għandu ebda interess jemenda dawk taż-Żurrieq sabiex inaqqas il-konġestjoni u l-“overpopulation” li huma inevitabbli bl-ammont ta’ residenzi li se jinbnew. Il-gidba li l-Local Plans ma jistgħux jinbidlu hija, appuntu, gidba.
7. Effett ieħor tal-mod kif inħadmu l-Pjanijiet Lokali huwa li se jisparixxu l-konfini bejn l-irħula. Ftit bogħod minn tal-Bebbux, hemm pjan għall-bini ta’ supermarket f’ODZ li se jkompli jagħfas fuq il-konfini mal-Imqabba. Ir-Residenti taż-Żurrieq kienu oġġezzjonaw għal din il-proposta wkoll, bl-istess mod li oġġezzjonat għar-rezoning tan-Nigret iffirmata mill-Perit Ġorġ Pullicino, l-awtur tal-istess Local Plans.
8. Nifhmu li Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi jista’ jħossu taħt pressjoni minħabba l-istqarrija konġunta li ħriġna ma’ seba’ għaqdiet oħra tar-residenti, madankollu għandu jserraħ rasu li dan mhuwiex attakk fuqu. Il-kritika u l-oppożizzjoni għall-proġett konna se nagħmluhom xorta waħda; il-ħasra hija li deputat elett mid-distrett tagħna qed jinsisti li jiddefendi l-iżvilupp, u saħansitra jipprova jgiddeb lill-bdiewa u r-residenti.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan, nistiednu lil Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi sabiex jiġi fuq is-sit tal-Bebbux għal laqgħa magħna u mal-bdiewa involuti fil-kwistjoni, u nistiednuh jispjega r-raġunijiet għalfejn proġett komunitarju għandu jsir fuq art agrikola, għalfejn art tal-Gvern hija inkluża f’applikazzjoni privata minkejja li “se tibqa’ tal-Gvern”, u biex jara huwa stess l-isfreġju li qed jawtorizza.
ENGLISH VERSION
Residenti taż-Żurrieq refer to the statement issued by the Lands Ministry last Wednesday, 23rd April, in reply to the joint press release issued by us and other resident groups on the same day. In light of the numerous inconsistencies in the Ministry’s statement, as well as the general air of misinformation in its narrative, we feel it is necessary to clarify a number of facts.
1. Nowhere in our press declaration did we say that the Government has changed its stance on tal-Bebbux. What we said is that Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi intervened on the eve of our press conference in June 2024, and with his declaration about the area being used for “community purposes,” he gave the impression that the development was going to be withdrawn. Throughout this year of silence on the front, the plans have been amended but the situation is exactly the same. The fact that Zrinzo Azzopardi is insisting that the land will not be sold to private interests is a mere twisting of words; the farmers will still lose their fields and huge swathes of ODZ will still be built up for the benefit of private individuals.
2. In his declaration, the Ministry said it had discussions with the Local Council (but not with the farmers or the residents) and this resulted in a revision of the plans. To date, the Local Council is still a registered objector to PC/00068/23.
3. The idea of “community purposes” has also been promoted by a PL councillor who proposed a retirement home in Tal-Bebbux. Planning laws allow such structures, including sports complexes and schools, in ODZ. These projects require infrastructure such as roads, water and and electricty services, and parking; after the completion of these “community purpose buildings” and their infrastructure – especially where roads are designed to cut across fields – the zone in question will no longer remain in ODZ, and becomes available for further development.
4. The Government has yet to give any details on the type of community use proposed for Tal-Bebbux, and it remains unclear as to why good agricultural land has to be sacrificed for these buildings.
5. We can confirm what a number of residents told us during the last few weeks, that the Ministry for Lands took the initiative to take aerial photos of the land in Tal-Bebbux in an attempt to discredit the farmers, by giving the impression that the land is not suitable for agriculture. Even here, the Government is guilty of speculation: to ascertain whether the land is good for farming, the Ministry should have taken photos during the harvest season. To ensure Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi is not being misled about the scale of the destruction he’s authorising, we’re publishing some photos of the work done by farmers in tal-Bebbux.
6. The 2006 Local Plans are the biggest excuse in favour of every type of development, irrespective of whether it is needed or not. Żurrieq and the neighbouring towns are among those hit worst by these rationalisation zones, but whilst the Government is actively seeking to amend Local Plans in other parts of Malta to allow further development, it has no interest amending those in Zurrieq to reduce the inevitable congestion and overpopulation caused by the number of residences that will be built. The lie that the Local Plans cannot change is, therefore, just a lie.
7. Another by-effect of the Local Plans is that the borders between towns will disappear. Not very far from Tal-Bebbux, there are plans for the construction of an ODZ supermarket which will further encroach on the border with Imqabba. Residenti taż-Żurrieq had objected to this proposal, in the same way it has objected to the rezoning of Nigret signed by architect George Pullicino, the author of the Local Plans.
8. We understand Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi may feel under pressure following the joint statement, however he should set his mind at rest that we’re not interested in attacking him. Our criticism and the opposition to the project would have been the same, but it’s a shame that our district MP is insisting on defending the development, going as far as trying to discredit farmers and residents in the process.
In the light of all this, we invite Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi to meet us and the farmers at the site in Tal-Bebbux, so that he can explain the reasons why a community purpose building should be built on agricultural land, to explain why Government land is included in a private development application even though “it will not be sold”, and to be aware of the scale of the damage he is authorising.
