Farmers ramp up pressure on Zrinzo Azzopardi to protect farmland in his district

Żurrieq farmers and residents opposing plans to develop an 11,000 square metre tract of agricultural land have received the backing of 13 NGOs and residents groups.

The group held a press conference outside Lands Authority offices on Saturday to lay out their concerns and demand a halt to the planning control application. 

Żurrieq is part of Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi's constituency, impacted farmers noted, saying the minister has the power to stop the plans dead in their tracks.   

PC00068/22 seeks to allow the construction of a road and series of buildings in the Tal-Bebbux area of Żurrieq. If approved, it will pave the way for land in the area to be developed.

The application also proposed residential zoning with a height limitation of three floors plus semi-basement. The applicant is Francis Spiteri, who owns Tal-Karmnu Construction Company. His architect is Mauro Debono.

Plans is in Lands Minister's district

Demonstrators note that the application can only be approved if the Lands Authority gives its assent to do so. Should it withdraw its consent, the plans will fall through, they said.

The authority has previously acknowledged that it has given the proposal its go-ahead but argued the land will only be developed if it "benefits the community." 

Activists gathered on Saturday to demand an end to the plans for Tal-Bebbux. Photo: Moviment Graffitti

One of the farmers who currently works the government-owned land, Robert Bondin Carter, described finding a notice posted on the wall instructing him to leave the field, which he and his family had worked for generations. Soon after, he found another notification. This one concerned plans to by a private developer to develop the land. It was the first he ever heard of it, Bondin Carter said.

He noted the Zrinzo Azzopardi contests the fifth district, which includes Żurrieq, and urged him to order the Lands Authority to halt the application. 

Bondin Carter has, together with fellow farmer Annalisa Schembri spearheaded efforts to get the Lands Authority to drop the application and mobilise opposition to the government plans. Among those objecting are the Zurrieq local council.

The farmer noted that just as the EU was warning citizens about hoarding food supplies, the government continued to deplete Malta’s food supply by allowing sparse parcels of agricultural land to be turned over to developers.

Schembri, who also spoke at the Saturday event, asked why young farmers like herself should end up without a job because a private developer chose to extend development onto agricultural land.

Malcolm Borg, from the Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, said the Lands Authority had a long history of anti-farming decisions and had never been willing to engage in honest dialogue to improve the situation for agriculture.

The farmers’ call supported by:

Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi

Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq

Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)

Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura

BirdLife Malta

Din l-Art Ħelwa

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar

Friends of the Earth Malta

Il-Kollettiv

Moviment Graffitti

Nature Trust – FEE Malta

Ramblers’ Association of Malta

The Archaeological Society Malta