The government's plans for a national park at Żonqor has to be seen in the context of public land of ecological value lost for the "non-American non-University of Sadeen", Front Ħarsien ODZ said this morning.

Zonqor Point

It said in a statement this was a typical case of "one step forward, two steps back".

The land transferred to Sadeen Group, it said, was identified as part of a national park in the 2006 local plan. By allowing such a project, the government would be sacrificing 18,000 square metres of park land, which according to present planning regulations, could not be developed.

It noted that the government added 44,000 of undeveloped coastal land to the proposed park. This area, however, was primarily rocky beach, designated as green area and already in public ownership.

"It is absurd that the government expects the Maltese public to accept their own beaches as compensation for the loss of ODZ," it said.

While welcoming plans to implement the natural park proposals, the Front expressed disappointment that the plan is being proposed concurrently with plans to turn part of Żonqor into a building site.

"It is a great pity that the park is being established concurrently with the take up of ODZ land. The front will continue objecting to the proposed Sadeen non-American non-University. It simply makes no sense to create a building site next to a natural park."