Motion against golf course turned down by Rabat council

A motion against the Verdala golf course moved by Rabat Labour councillors was defeated at a council meeting yesterday evening.

A counter motion put forward by a Nationalist councillor - extolling the potential benefits of the project but insisting that it should be environmentally sustainable - was carried.

The council is made up of five Nationalist and four Labour councillors. One Labour member was absent for the meeting.

The Labour motion noted that it was not legally possible to take agricultural land from farmers and pass it on to the developers, and that many farmers would be badly hit by the development.

The Labour councillors therefore moved that the council object "with all legal means" to the project going ahead as proposed and in the area earmarked. The motion was defeated by five votes to three.

The counter motion was proposed by a Nationalist councillor and seconded by the mayor, Rudolf Grima.

It stated that the council was committed to raising the standard of living of Rabat residents, farmers, workers and businessmen, and that such a project could lead to more jobs in the tourist sector, more trade and more widespread knowledge of the locality.

However, it insisted that any development should be sustainable, and should not damage the environment or agricultural land.

The motion appealed to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to consider the position of the farmers and the interests of Rabat residents and the nation when making its decision.