From the Times Online - Saturday, 10th July 2010 - 14:23CET
Rampant abusive land seizures must be terminated - NGOs
Rampant abusive land seizures must be terminated, four environmental non-government organizations said in a statement.
They referred to the proposed White Rocks project saying that, as many had pointed out, the public land was being offered to the developers was worth millions of euros.
Moreover, the processing of the project so far has been opaque.
The organisations said it was in this context that the Armier squatters’ situation had to be judged.
“Their ferocity in bargaining, their electoral arm-twisting, and their instant initiative in organising themselves is better understood when the millions of real estate value at stake on this public land is revealed.
“The Armier tract of land is thought to be much larger in size than that of the White Rocks project, and is also seafront public real estate. Worth millions of euros, it is about to be written off for a pittance due to political blackmail.”
Rambers’ Association, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth and Nature Trust said that the affront to the law-abiding public should not be underestimated.
In addition to the illegal shacks, caravaners were now insolently demanding alternative sites in locations convenient to them in order to move off the land they illegally occupy.
“It beggars belief that the leaders of Malta’s main political parties should pander to land grabbers by offering them property that rightfully belongs to the nation. Such an agreement would legitimise these squatters’ claim to the value of the land they have squatted on. This property is already being speculated and will continue to be bartered for clean and legal real estate.”
The NGOs referred to the squatters’ claims that they have paid €93,000 in expenses, which works out to €4,650 per year for a minimum of 20 years of illegal possession. Divided between some 800 illegal households, this was less than €5.81 per year, the NGOs said.
“If that is not theft, we don’t know what is. Not only have the squatters had it obscenely good enough for far too long but they have made outrageous claims also for the future.”
The NGOs said that the agreement signed with the Nationalist government on the eve of the 2003 election, would extend the existing 67,000 square metres to around 231,000 square metres or 230 tumuli of public land which amounts to no less than 0.08 per cent of Malta’s land surface, against an annual rent of €350,000. The pledge was renewed by the leader of the Nationalist Party just before the 2008 elections, by committing himself to consult with Mepa on the pending applications.
Presented in 2004, the applications submitted by Armier Developments, the squatters’ company, proposes the development of 1,589 rooms, five playing fields and a bowls pitch, a mini market, three restaurants, a two-storey garage, three community centres and a clinic in an area spanning Ramlet il-Qortin, Ta’ Macca u l-Armier, the Barriera tal-Ahrax quarry, Little Armier and the Torri l-Abjad zone.
The NGOs said that the Mepa chairman had now claimed that part of the development proposed was unacceptable because of environmental, agricultural and land ownership issues.
However, no refusal of the squatters’ basic claims was forthcoming from either political party in Parliament or Mepa.
The NGOs said their position was crystal clear.
“Rampant abusive land seizures, such as that along the Valletta harbour, Gnejna, San Tumas, Ghadira, all of Armier and in Gozeo such as in Dwejra and ix-Xatt l-Ahmar, must be terminated.
“Turning over such a large expanse of countryside for building, in addition to that lost in the rationalisation plans, encourages further abuse, and makes a mockery of the government’s promise of ODZ is ODZ.
“The abuse of partisan politics, the clear source of these illegalities, is corroding the public’s faith in Maltese politicians’ ability to embrace the 21st century and rise above vote-catching tactics to build a political career built on sound ideology and practice,” they said.
But I think the outcome will go something like this. The illegal squatters WILL MOVE - but they will be give good/convenient land, all services provided and proper title to the land for a pittance (and a vote).
Who will pay for this ME ! - who cant even afford to go on holiday to Gozo.
Who said crime doesn't pay.
And ALL these politicians expect me to vote for them. What are they doing for me, what have they done to this country.
So that empowers the present administration to keep employing the same policy, is that what you are implying ??
Looking at it from outside so to speak, that is someone who doesn't care about politics in my own country let alone Malta I would say that the answer is simple. What happened in the past happened in the past. This is the present and the Government need to look hard, probably very hard in order to find the required balls to tackle these squatters. They have no right to be there so bulldoze them out. Simple as that.
Can I also ask a question here? Why does the quality of good sense only appear to exist within NGO's? Why do the NGO’s continually have to take on the mantle of good governance? Isn't there anyone within the present Government who can make sensible decisions by themselves without the help of the various NGO's?
Theft by any other name aided by a political party who thinks it has a divine right to rule and will do so at any cost.It is downright disgusting that we should be legalising theft in this way. Is it any wonder that those less fortunate resort to cheating and thieving when they see those whom they elected doing the same and getting away with it?.Anarchy with the connivance of the State.
Governments have always sought to ignore such pressing issues, preferring to pass it on to the next administration. And when a government is forced to (reluctantly) address a pressing issue as this, we end up with a situation where government tries to applease the law-breakers by giving them 'rights' or 'right of first refusal' to whatever compromise solution they cook up.
The message is clear - it pays to be opportunist and break the law in Malta, because if you are cheeky enough government will applease you.
(same with tax defaulters, people drilling boreholes and pumping water for free, those building in ODZ and public land, etc.)
Unless government takes decisive action now it will be confirming what I have just said. Let's hope government can find the courage to take appropriate action in the national interest.
It looks like shanty town Big tents occupied the front area were they have a barbecue area dinning room and a reserved parking area . Please let us not leave these land grabbers treating by there vote once for ever
Politicians are there to safeguard the interests of the general public and to govern according to the oath administered on taking office. Those in authority should never give in to threats by a handful of arrogants. Abuse of partisan politics and vote catching tatics is a malaise of maltese politicians which should be eradicated once and for all.
Do you agree with Dr. Jason Azzopardi that the silent majority must not be underestimated and whoever occupies public land needs to be punished for his/her continuous theft in broad daylight? The general elections will definitely come, and the silent majority will surely express its judgement on the capability of your actions/non-actions on this issue too.
Doing nothing is not an option - it only means that you are still not in a position to protect the law-abiding citizen.
A declaration that any proposals coming from these squatters will not be tolerated and/or accepted by your administration is long overdue. What are you waiting for? Rampant abuse of land must be eradicated from this country. Do not hide behind MEPA.
We need politicians that stand up to be counted..... in favour of the honest, law abiding citizens.
Am waiting with eagerness for this move as I am positively sure that most politicians would be prepared to act. Hope I won't be let down on this.
The law-abiding citizen is always the under-dog. It is amazing how politicians can sleep with this heavy conscience, the ruining of the Maltese environment.
As I have written before, dishonesty pays....................
We have had scandal after scandal, and no action from this government - I have no confidence in this government's ability to make proper and right decisions. To me this government is only interested in itself and papering over the cracks, and not actually making needed reforms or taking action. We always get fobbed off with 'don't worry we are working on it' - it's all talk and plans, and no action. I do not foresee this government being in power after the next election, especially after the VAT scams on car buyers, the VAT frauds, the ADT fiasco's, the MEPA disgraces, the constant suspended sentences, the chief justice corruption scandal etc, etc.
All Joe public gets, is talk and 'get out of jail free' for criminals.
we are all behind you and if no party picks ur claim - pls do consider a possibility to have ur say in parliament... before we are at a point of no return ( if this hasnt happened yet)
yeah sure....all NGOs who do not toe the Gonzi government line....must be PL deputies under-cover!!
is it so difficult to evaluate NGOs and especially environmental issues above the usual self-defeating PN-PL bipartisan sickening games?!
Whose agenda and what agenda are you talking about? Kemm qed issiru "touchy" dan l-ahhar? il-problema bdewha gvernijiet tal-Labour u komplewha gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti. Pero' l-akbar vilta' hi li issa l-gvern prezenti se jtiha timbru ufficjali u se jigi jaqa' u jqum minn kulhadd, inkluz minnek.
all politicians are just the same, in the first 1-2 years in power they show us some substance, and then they crumble down. Beside the loss of land mentioned in this article one must refer to the millions of Euros handed down each year as benefits to those that do not deserve these. And then we are told that there is not enough money to fund our pensions in the future!
Just a wish which will NEVER be fulfilled
P.S. Squatters = MLP; Govenment owned historical building = MLP club
Regards Armier, it was the PL Government of Dom Mintoff that permitted the boat houses in the first place. To add salt to injury, the same PL Government provided the Boat Houses with Electricity as well.
dear pals....at this stage I don't give a toss who did what and when....
what I am interested is that someone find the proverbial balls to do something about such abuses and renders back to the public in kind the property that was seized from the public........and then ensure that similar abuses do not occur ever again.
The NGOs have highlighted the matter for the umpteenth time......now Government entities and parliament how about doing something right (and really in the National Interest) for a change!
What point are you trying to prove. If it was wrong then, it is wrong now.
I do not have to repeat what Dr Fenech Adami said on the fight of corruption, but it made a lot of sense to the law-abiding citizen.!!!!!
Ehh dak l-ghamad politiku kif ma' jhalliniex nahsbu b'mohhna!!!!!!!
Bir rispett kollu, kif qatt tista' tiggustifika xi haga hazina, b'xi haga'ohra hafna aghar minnha? Jew, kif tghid l-idjoma Ngliza: "Two wrongs don't make a right". Hazin gara hekk fi zmien Mintoff u hafna aghar se jaghmel il-Gvern tal-lum.
during the mepa reform i proposed that land used for illegal development must be confiscatwed by the state, a priori any legal proceeedings; that is this has to be done by force.
no body from the politicians seems to want this to happen and this shows that no one wants to really fight against illegal development of private or public land. we have a country of omerta and PPP.
the country need not only a good pair of hands but a very strong pair of hands. by giving concessions on taxes, social security payments, land use, rent in arrears, illegal immigration, overstayed visa tourists, abuses in national management, etc the state is being seen as a weak instrument of governance: of course weak with those in power and strong with the weak
for example the letters being issued by ARMS limited are a threat to our national liberty and I wonder whether consumers have accepted notice letters full of threats
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