This morning a group of Birżebbuġa residents, associations and interested persons walked from the church of Bengħajsa to the Wied Żnuber area currently earmarked for a miniature airstrip. Activists insisted that plans are to be withdrawn immediately and that the area around the valley should be designated ODZ as promised by Prime Minister Robert Abela last March. The mayor of Birżebbuġa, Scott Camilleri, also joined the event and called for the protection of Wied Żnuber.
The informative walk saw natural historians and history experts address the value of this place which consists of 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 habits 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 will take up a large area of land and pollute the entire area around the valley and the cliffs with loud noise and light. It is clear that such a project has no place in the zone and not only because of the land it will destroy but also because of its invasive impact on the whole area.
The agreement between three government agencies and the Ħal Far Model Flying Association was signed last February behind everyone’s back and without any consultation. Details of this agreement were unveiled last month and clearly show that the government has committed to allocate a natural and agricultural site of 44,440 square meters – the size of six and a half football pitches – for building the airfield and surrounding facilities.
Aside from the destruction of natural and agricultural land, the miniature airstrip will impact residents severely as they will lose the present peace of Wied Żnuber for the entertainment of the few. This is a form of injustice that becomes even more evident when we consider that 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 quality of life.
On March 17, during an activity in Birżebbuġa, Prime Minister Roberta Abela stated that no development will take place in Wied Żnuber, and that the area around the bottom of the valley will be turned into an ODZ. The miniature airstrip is planned for the only part of Wied Żnuber that is not yet ODZ despite its natural value.
Residents and associations are therefore calling on the Prime Minister to honour his word and ensure that no development takes place in Wied Żnuber and that the part around the bottom of the valley becomes ODZ. This necessarily means that plans for a miniature airstrip are withdrawn.
Organisations:
Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Dalgħodu għexieren ta’ residenti Birzebbuġin, ċittadini u għaqdiet, imxew mill-knisja ta’ Bengħajsa saż-żona ta’ Wied Żnuber fejn hemm ippjanat mitjar għall-mudelli tal-ajruplani. Il-parteċipanti saħqu li dan il-pjan għandu jiġi rtirat minnufih u li ż-żona madwar il-wied issir ODZ kif wiegħed il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela f’Marzu li għadda. Magħna ingħaqad is-Sindku ta’ Birżebbuġa, Scott Camilleri, li sejjaħ ukoll għall-ħarsien ta’ Wied Żnuber.
Matul il-mixja informattiva, esperti tal-istorja u tan-natura spjegaw l-importanza ta’ dan il-post li jiġbor fih kemm fdalijiet storiċi ta’ valur kbir, bħal dolmen preistoriku u xelter militari, kif ukoll ħxejjex u annimali protetti li jgħixu f’tip ta’ abitat dejjem iktar mhedded – xagħri u blat fejn jinħolqu għadajjar tal-ilma tax-xita. Il-post imiss ukoll ma’ sit tan-Natura 2000 fejn ibejjet iċ-Cief u għalhekk jservi ta’ buffer zone bejn dan is-sit protett bil-liġi u l-fabbriki.
Mitjar għal mudelli tal-ajruplani ser jordom medda t’art kbira kif ukoll iniġġes iż-żona kollha tal-wied u l-irdum bi storbju qawwi u dwal ma jaqtgħux. Għaldaqstant huwa ċar li proġett ta’ dan it-tip mhux postu hemm mhux biss minħabba l-art li ser jeqred imma wkoll minħabba l-impatt invasiv li se jkollu fuq il-madwar kollu.
Il-ftehim bejn tliet aġenziji tal-Gvern u l-Ħal Far Model Flying Association kien iffirmat fi Frar li għadda minn wara dahar kulħadd u mingħajr ebda konsultazzjoni. Id-dettalji ta’ dan il-ftehim, li ġew żvelati x-xahar li għadda, juru li l-gvern impenja ruħu li jagħti sit naturali u agrikolu ta’ 44,440 metru kwadru – id-daqs ta’ sitt grawnds tal-futbol u nofs – sabiex jinbena dan il-mitjar u faċilitajiet oħra għalih.
Barra l-qerda naturali u agrikola, il-pjan tal-mitjar huwa inġust mar-residenti li ser jitilfu s-serenittà ta’ Wied Żnuber għall-pjaċir tal-ftit. Din l-inġustizzja toħroġ iktar biċ-ċar meta nikkunsidraw li Wied Żnuber huwa wieħed mill-ftit siti naturali li fadal f’Birżebbuġa u l-madwar tagħha; lokalità li diġà tgħabbiet b’ħafna żvilupp li impatta ħażin ferm il-kwalità tal-ħajja.
Fis-17 ta’ Marzu li għadda, waqt attività f’Birżebbuġa, il-Prim Ministru Roberta Abela sostna li mhu se jsir l-ebda żvilupp f’Wied Żnuber u li ż-żona madwar il-qiegħa tal-wied se ssir ODZ. Il-mitjar huwa pjanat fl-unika żona ta’ Wied Żnuber li għadha mhijiex ODZ, minkejja l-valur naturali tagħha.
Għalhekk ir-residenti u l-għaqdiet qed isejħu lill-Prim Ministru sabiex iżomm kelmtu u jiżgura li ma jsir ebda żvilupp f’Wied Żnuber u li l-parti madwar il-qiegħa tal-wied issir ODZ. Dan bilfors ifisser li l-pjan għall-mitjar jiġi rtirat.
Għaqdiet:
Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
