A petition calling for “proper consultation” with residents and farmers who will be affected by plans to expand the Magħtab landfill is being launched by Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Cutajar, said he felt compelled to bring this issue to the fore as it concerned his own constituents of the twelfth district.
“Government is forging ahead with the Magħtab extension project without carrying any studies and with no consultation whatsoever with residents and local councils,” he said.
He recounted that on May 28, 2018, during an environment committee meeting, high-ranking planning authority official architect Joseph Scalpello called for the preservation of the agricultural activity near Magħtab and against illegal dumping at the facility.
“However, a few years down the line the government is doing the exact opposite, by taking up agricultural land and dumping mixed waste,” he said.
Under these plans, 247 tumoli of land adjacent to the landfill will be expropriated by State agency Wasteserv, to expand the facility. Last week, farmers in the area were notified in writing that Wasteserv officials would be accessing their property to determine whether it was required for this project.
The Environment Ministry confirmed plans to construct a waste-to-energy facility, a hazardous waste thermal treatment facility, a skip loading facility, a composting facility and an organic processing plant.
'Road network needs upgrading'
Mr Cutajar also called for more investment in the road network in the northern part of the island. He pointed out that lack of funds to install new water service pipes, were the reason why the St Paul’s Bay main road was being left in such poor state.
As for Mellieħa, he warned that existing roads had reached full capacity, to the point that traffic was grinding to a complete halt each time there was an accident in the whereabouts of Xemxija or Selmun. Commuters recently spent up to two hours stuck in traffic, he remarked
The MP expressed his disappointment that the government had shelved plans to improve arterial roads in this part of the island which form part of the Ten-T network.