Save Us: 10 More Ficus Trees Scheduled To Be Chopped Down Sparks Protest In Buġibba
Another 12 mature ficus trees are planned to be uprooted and Buġibba residents are not having it.
Plans to replace over 800 nesting birds with around 800 parked cars and a health clinic, which is undoubtedly needed, have angered locals and led to the organisation of a peaceful protest scheduled for tomorrow – because while many residents want the clinic, they think the chosen area is far too environmentally destructive.
The protest will be led by ADPD leader Sandra Gauci who wrote this on the Facebook event:
“It has long been decided that these 12 ficus trees home to over 800 birds will be chopped down so that they make room for a clinic and an underground parking for over 800 cars.”
“Why should we sacrifice the birds’ home for yet more construction of something which, even though is needed, is misplaced? Buġibba is already one construction site. Leave our only open areas alone.”
The health centre is planned to be developed in Triq Port Ruman, Qawra and it will provide 24/7 outpatient health services in the community offering speciality services such as dental care, cardiology, day care surgery, sexual health care, ultrasound, bone densitometry, and echocardiography.
Meanwhile, BirdLife Malta has endorsed the protest and objected with the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) about the proposed development because to date, “no consideration has been made to the fact that the Ficus Trees in this parking area host some 800 White Wagtails (Zakak Abjad) roosting every evening”.
“A number of other trees in this area also offer shelter to Spanish Sparrows (Għasfur tal-Bejt) which roost in these trees every night.”
“We fully endorse the protest being organised later on this week by a group of Buġibba residents against the destruction of several mature ficus trees which are proposed to make way for a regional health centre and an underlying 4-storey car park in Buġibba. The current site is occupied by a car park,” the organisation wrote on social media.
“We call on the general public to join the residents on site this Thursday at 5pm to protest against the removal of the Ficus trees.”
The proposed medical facility is designed to cover an area of 3,500 square metres and will extend upward across five levels. It features a design with two sections joined together by a glazed atrium, forming an H-shaped structure.
This project involves the removal of a 360 square-metre skatepark and various military buildings dating back to the British era.
The existing car park, which is 4,300 square metres in size and has space for 120 vehicles, will be substituted with a four-level underground parking structure that can hold 864 cars.
The protest will take place tomorrow at 5pm in the development site: Triq Port Ruman.
This comes just weeks after another protest to remove ficus trees in Mosta proved successful.
Click here for the social media event.
Will you be attending this protest?
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