Save Hondoq movement condemns Mepa, developers attitude at public hearing

Published on the Malta Independent. The Save Hondoq movement yesterday condemned the attitude of The Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the developers proposing a tourist complex at Hondoq ir-Rummien at Thursday’s public hearing on the project’s environmental impact assessment. In a statement issued yesterday, the movement “condemns without reservations the attitude and arrogance of numerous individuals and Mepa on the manner in which foreigners were dealt with during the hearing”. The movement said yesterday that a number of foreigners who reside in Qala had turned up for the hearing. “It was shameful how foreigners were insulted by members of the public who are in favour of the development, to the extent that some of the foreigners walked out. Furthermore, Mepa’s resort to a law that states that meetings are to be held in Maltese is not sufficient. “The foreigners who turned up for the meeting are residents of Qala and they have the right to know and to participate in the public hearing about the project at Hondoq.” The Save Hondoq movement also thanked Astrid Vella of Flimkien Ghall Ambjent Ahjar, Alex Vella from the Ramblers Association, Zminijietna’s David Pisani and other NGOs and individuals who participated. “We would like to thank Qala Local Council and its consultants, two of whom were present and talked during the hearing. Alan Deidun made a strong argument against the marina. Making reference to official policies, not cited in the EIA, he argued that the project is not acceptable from a marine environment point of view. “We also thank environment planning consultant Lino Bianco, who made the shortest intervention, questioning how different the EIA, which is meant to be a scientific study of the impacts of the project, would read if it were a document intended to sell the project.” In another statement issued yesterday, Flimkien Ghall Ambjent Ahjar and the Ramblers Association also deplored the way the meeting was handled.