‘Safeguard Manoel Island’: NGO Expresses Disappointment Towards Environmental Impact Appeal Verdict
Leading Maltese environmental NGO, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, expressed its disappointment in MIDI‘s Environmental Impact Assessment results, ahead of their plans to ‘revitalise’ the island.
”FAA maintains that the second Manoel Island EIA failed on a number of counts. The traffic generation figures were provided by MIDI itself without any verification or study by independent consultants,” the NGO said in statement.
“In addition, the figures provided by the company were deliberately underestimated by around 80% when compared to calculations provided in the PA’s own circular 1/2015 which the PA itself adopted in assessing developments near the MIDI project.”
According to the NGO, the impact on Gzira’s environment will be detrimental – a good chunk of the promenade will be taken up by a 42-metre roundabout and a new linking bridge to Manoel Island.
MIDI’s plan to build bastions of flats and commercial property will most likely block the views of the Valletta UNESCO World Heritage Site from the island.
For the past seven years, the NGO has been fighting to transform the island into a Heritage park, in cooperation with Kamp Emergenza Ambjent.
”Having the best areas of Malta, which have been enjoyed by everyone for millennia, taken over for the exclusive enjoyment of a handful of rich individuals and for the private profit of even fewer, richer individuals is not environmental justice!”
“This is especially true of public coasts and lands that are recognised at law as Areas of High Landscape Value,” they expressed.
A heritage park would be the best use for the island since it’s the one patch of nature in the urban jungle that is the Northeast coast (Pieta to Swieqi).
”FAA will continue with its work to safeguard Manoel Island verifying the Maltese Government’s right to rescind the June 2000 Deed of Empytheusis and to take back Manoel Island should MIDI continue to fail to meet the contract’s criteria by 31 March 2026.”
“At that point, the Government would be in the unique position to gift Manoel Island as the first nature and heritage park to all its people.”
What do you make of Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar‘s efforts to safeguard Manoel Island?
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