Putting the cart before the horse

Abstract

The proposed nine-hectare (equivalent to 12 full-size football pitches) American University in an Outside Development Zone area in Żonqor has understandably raised the bristles of many, not just of environmentalists, but also of level-headed politicians like Labour MP Marlene Farrugia and Marsascala deputy mayor Desiree Attard.

The case smacks of the pre-Mepa era when decisions were made without the necessary site selection and environment impact assessment (EIA) studies being conducted. If the assertion that the ODZ site at Żonqor was rubber-stamped by the Mepa CEO himself, then this rings hollow for two reasons.

Firstly, it is inconceivable how the CEO of an authority which, according to its own mission statement, professes to safeguard the country’s natural resources for future generations, can opt for an undeveloped ODZ site that is located within a designated nature reserve, to boot. It seems more like Johann Buttigieg has ended up as the sacrificial lamb.

Secondly, if it is true that Mepa has conducted an exhaustive site selection process, then a report with the findings of the process should be released and published so that the public can gather which and how other alternative sites were assessed for their suitability or otherwise to house the university campus.