Spazji Miftuħa coalition backed by more organisations

A petition started by the Outdoor Recreation and Camping Association Malta to defend public access to Aħrax and Miżieb has surpassed the figure of 10,000 signatures. The petition, also hosted by NGO Coalition Spazji Miftuħa, is demanding that access to l-Aħrax and Miżieb remains open all throughout the year instead of being sealed off to a lobby for nine out of twelve months.

In just a few days since its launch, Spazji Miftuħa has also received the backing of more organisations, reaching a total of 30 groups endorsing the coalition and its demands.

The petition, survey and endorsement form can be found on www.spazjimiftuha.org. Spazji Miftuħa’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/spazjimiftuha/.

In the meantime, the coalition has sent out a second open letter to the Prime Minister reminding him of the request for a meeting about the issue, sent on Tuesday 28th April, to which no official reply has been received.

The open letter is attached to this press release.

GĦALL-ISTAMPA

Il-petizzjoni għall-Miżieb u l-Aħrax taqbeż l-10,000 firma
Spazji Miftuħa tirċievi l-appoġġ ta’ aktar organizzazzjonijiet

Il-petizzjoni li nfetħet mill-Outdoor Recreation and Camping Association Malta sabiex tiddefendi l-aċċess pubbliku għall-Aħrax u l-Miżieb għadha kif qabżet l-10,000 firma. Il-petizzjoni, li tinsab online fuq is-sit tal-koalizzjoni Spazji Miftuħa, qed titlob li l-aċċess għall-Aħrax u l-Miżieb jibqa’ miftuħ tul is-sena kollha minflok jingħalaq għal lobby waħda għal disa’ xhur minn tnax.

Fi ftit jiem mit-tnedija tagħha, Spazji Miftuħa rċeviet ukoll l-appoġġ ta’ iktar organizzazzjonijiet, fejn laħqet total ta’ 30 grupp li qed jappoġġja l-koalizzjoni u t-talbiet tagħha.

Il-petizzjoni, l-istħarriġ u l-formola tal-għoti tal-appoġġ jinsabu fuq www.spazjimiftuha.org. Il-paġna Facebook ta’ Spazji Miftuħa hija https://www.facebook.com/spazjimiftuha/.

Sadanittant, il-koalizzjoni bagħtet it-tieni ittra miftuħa lill-Prim Ministru fejn fakkritu fit-talba għal-laqgħa dwar din il-kwistjoni, li ntbagħtet l-ewwel darba nhar it-Tlieta 28 ta’ April, u li għaliha għadha ma waslet ebda tweġiba uffiċjali.

L-ittra miftuħa hija mehmuża ma’ din l-istqarrija.

Hon. Dr Robert Abela
Prime Minister

Cc Hon Dr Aaron Farrugia
Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change

Tuesday 12th May 2020

RE: Restricting public access to Miżieb and Aħrax

Dear Prime Minister,

Further to our letter dated Tuesday, 28th April, we are once more asking you for a meeting to discuss the decision to restrict public access to the areas of l-Aħrax and Miżieb for nine months out of twelve.

We are deeply concerned that this decision, which has been taken away from the public eye, will deprive the general public of two very important public open spaces. It will spell the end of outdoor activities in these areas, in a country where outdoor space is already very limited due to our size and also the repeated encroachment on such areas by various lobbies.

We are also disappointed at the fact that, in over 100 days since you took charge as PM, you have not found the time to meet a single environmental NGO, let alone a coalition of such organisations. This jars with the fact that you have met, more than once, various other lobbies including developers, business communities, and other bodies. Unfortunately this is understood as a sign that the concerns of the general public about the national environment are being ignored.

Whilst reminding you that we are representing at least 10,000 people who have petitioned in favour of keeping public access open to such areas, we reiterate our request for a meeting so as to understand better how this Cabinet decision will impact the general public, since we fully believe in the values of transparency and integrity.

We look forward to receiving an answer from you regarding our request.

Spazji Miftuħa

The organisations forming part of Spazji Miftuħa are:

• Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
• Archaeological Society of Malta
• Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
• BICREF
• Bicycle Advocacy Group
• BirdLife Malta
• Bird Eye View Malta
• Din L-Art Ħelwa
• European Architecture Students Assembly Malta (EASA Malta)
• Extinction Rebellion Malta
• Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
• Franciscan Friars (OFM) Malta
• Friends of the Earth Malta
• Futur Ambjent Wieħed
• Għaqda Siġar Maltin
• International Spring Orchestra Festival
• Isles of the Left
• Kamra tal-Periti
• Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
• Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ
• Moviment Graffitti
• Nature Trust Malta
• NASoM (Noise Abatement Society Malta)
• Outdoor Recreation and Camping Association Malta
• Ramblers Association Malta
• Releaf
• Royal Commonwealth Society, Malta Branch
• Ulster Wildlife
• The Grow 10 Trees Project
• Volt Malta

Hon. Dr Robert Abela
Prim Ministru

Cc Hon Dr Aaron Farrugia
Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Iżvilupp Sostenibbli u t-Tibdil fil-Klima

It-Tlieta, 12 ta’ Mejju 2020

RE: Ir-restrizzjoni tal-Aċċess għall-Aħrax u l-Miżieb

Għażiż Prim Ministru,

Wara l-ittra tagħna bid-data ta’ nhar it-Tlieta, 28 ta’ April, qed nitolbu għal darb’oħra li ssir laqgħa sabiex tiġi diskussa d-deċiżjoni li jingħalaq l-aċċess tal-pubbliku għall-Aħrax u l-Miżieb għal disa’ xhur minn tnax.

Bħala koalizzjoni ninsabu ferm imħassbin li din id-deċiżjoni, li ttieħdet bogħod minn għajnejn il-poplu, se tisraq żewġ spazji miftuħa importanti ħafna mill-pubbliku ġenerali. Dan se jfisser it-tmiem tal-attivitajiet kollha f’dawn iż-żoni, f’pajjiż fejn l-ispazju miftuħ diġà huwa limitat ħafna minħabba d-daqs tagħna, u wkoll minħabba li bosta lobbies qed ikomplu jnaqqru minn dawn iż-żoni.

Ninsabu diżappuntati wkoll għall-fatt li, f’iktar minn mitt jum minn meta sirt Prim Ministru, għadek ma sibtx il-ħin sabiex tiltaqa’ ma’ NGO ambjentali waħda, u wisq inqas koalizzjoni ta’ dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet. Dan jistona mal-fatt li ltqajt, għal aktar minn darba, ma’ bosta lobbies oħra inklużi dawk tal-iżviluppaturi, kummerċjanti, u korpi oħrajn. Sfortunatament, dan jinftiehem bħala sinjal li t-tħassib tal-pubbliku ġenerali dwar l-ambjent nazzjonali qed jiġi injorat.

Filwaqt li nfakkruk li qed nirrappreżentaw iktar minn 10,000 persuna li ffirmaw petizzjoni sabiex jinżamm miftuħ l-aċċess għal dawn iż-żoni, intennu t-talba tagħna għal-laqgħa sabiex nifhmu aħjar kif din id-deċiżjoni tal-Kabinett ser taffettwa l-pubbliku, peress li nemmnu bis-sħiħ fil-valuri tat-trasparenza u l-integrità.

Nistennew bil-ħerqa li nirċievu tweġiba dwar it-talba tagħna.

Spazji Miftuħa

L-organizzazzjonijiet li jiffurmaw parti minn Spazji Miftuħa huma:

• Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
• Archaeological Society of Malta
• Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura
• BICREF
• Bicycle Advocacy Group
• BirdLife Malta
• Bird Eye View Malta
• Din L-Art Ħelwa
• European Architecture Students Assembly Malta (EASA Malta)
• Extinction Rebellion Malta
• Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
• Franciscan Friars (OFM) Malta
• Friends of the Earth Malta
• Futur Ambjent Wieħed
• Għaqda Siġar Maltin
• International Spring Orchestra Festival
• Isles of the Left
• Kamra tal-Periti
• Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
• Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ
• Moviment Graffitti
• Nature Trust Malta
• NASoM (Noise Abatement Society Malta)
• Outdoor Recreation and Camping Association Malta
• Ramblers Association Malta
• Releaf
• Royal Commonwealth Society, Malta Branch
• Ulster Wildlife
• The Grow 10 Trees Project
• Volt Malta