Community involvement over political spectacle

I spent many winters walking Greta, my grandfather’s agile and strong German pointer, through Pembroke’s Natura 2000 terrain. Especially during the wintery months of 2021, she would guide me on our afternoon walks. This was during the COVID period when spending time outside of one’s home, soaking up the sun and enjoying the sound of the waves battling against the garrigue, was a privilege.

These long walks were my respite from the suffocating lockdown, getting lost in intense thoughts and exploring the vegetation that extends from the Pembroke Athleta Football Grounds to the Splash and Fun in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.

For those who have walked along this expanse of land, walking between the Natura 2000 protected area to White Rocks is a continuous affair with no physical boundaries separating the two areas. The official, artificial boundary between the areas runs down a geological fissure a few metres away from Martin Luther King Building, which hosts the Institute for Education, all the way down to Madliena Tower.

White Rocks has been, for all intents and purposes, a natural park for us. Nature seems to have taken over, with vegetation growing at its own leisurely rate.

A great number of żnuber trees line significant parts of the roads surrounding the three-storey blocks and garrigue vegetation, such as the sagħtar bush, are present everywhere. The naked buildings stand tall, evoking a ghost-like atmosphere.

Engulfed by the buildings, walking through White Rocks complex is a quiet affair, save for the occasional bikers or people hanging about. The main nuisance of the place is the rubble that extends across various areas in the complex.

Upon entering the rooms of the White Rocks complex, you will find various graffiti and junk that has been left over the years. I rarely venture into the buildings. What can one do in a derelict building? Nonetheless, the desire for people to wander around is more than legitimate.

There aren’t many areas in Malta where people can explore empty buildings to escape our busy towns and villages to muck around with their friends.

I can only think of Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsascala and, for a while, the Mystic in Madliena. In a way, hanging about in White Rocks was a rite of passage for me and a lot of others in our late teens.

The apparent lawlessness of the area created a social tapestry of teenagers biking, people walking their dogs and families enjoying their picnics.

The recent announcement by Prime Minister Robert Abela that White Rocks would be “returned” to the public and turned into a National Park came out the blue.

The area had been slated for privatisation by successive administrations and there was a sense of relief from many in Pembroke since White Rocks has been treated and enjoyed as a natural park for many years. Nonetheless, we fear that any interference by the government, especially by an agency such as Project Green, will ruin the serenity that many people have enjoyed.

Focusing attention on White Rocks appears to be a typical diversion- Rafel Grima

The credibility of Project Green has been put into question by other environmental NGOs, with doubts hanging over their governance, their lack of experience in managing big environmental projects and not sustaining their projects with indigenous Maltese species.

Moreover, their projects have focused on embellishing existing small gardens with new benches, free Wi-Fi and gravel.

I, and others, are sceptical of their credibility to handle with care a big area like White Rocks, and we feel protective over this land that has welcomed us and allowed us to unwind during long walks.

Judging from the government’s approach to public spaces, we also sense a real risk that, although White Rocks would not be privatised, it could still end up being commercialised, becoming a vehicle for a cacophony of businesses that use this space for profit rather than for the general well-being.

Focusing attention on White Rocks appears to be a typical diversion from the overwhelming number of projects affecting Pembroke and its surrounding areas.

So far, those who have consulted on this White Rocks ‘project’ are schoolchildren, who have been pushed and used by local politicians for their personal gain.  None of the local and government politicians seem to have any plans to consult Pembroke residents in a democratic and transparent manner. This project demands a focused, structured consultation that involves as many residents as possible.

A series of public forums come to mind when such a project is proposed, set up in a way that residents can voice their thoughts, concerns and ideas, minuted and reported back to the relevant ministry.

Pembroke residents are acutely aware of what’s happening: the green areas surrounding us are being privatised and gobbled up by private developers. We are tired of the constant bombardment of applications and major projects.

We are not listened to and our grievances and neglected by the authorities who make decisions that impact our everyday life. And yet we fight; we fight to preserve the landscape that so many of us enjoy, from within and outside of our locality.

Make sure that our voices are heard or, at the very least, seen by those responsible. I encourage Pembroke residents to submit their personal feedback to this consultation.

Rafel Grima is a Pembroke resident and an activist with Moviment Graffitti.