Snippets from AD’s electoral manifesto: (13) Environmental Justice

The following extract is taken verbatim from Chapter 14 of AD’s Electoral Manifesto

Environmental Justice.
AD understands that projects of national importance will still face difficulties. This will keep recurring until such time that Central Government and Parastatal bodies do not address adequately the environmental impacts of these projects and until such time that sites for such projects keep being located in the southern parts of the country.
AD shall insist on the implementation of environmental justice such that whilst infrastructural and industrial projects are planned with the minimal environmental impacts in mind the burdens created will as far as is possible not be shouldered only by the residential community in the southern parts of the island.
It is also an issue of justice that whoever carried out illegal construction activity shoulders his responsibilities. In particular Alternattiva Demokratika is proposing the immediate demolition of the illegally constructed boathouses at l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa as well as those in other zones close to the sea such that the space close to the coast is back in community ownership to be enjoyed by all.
L-Estratt segwenti hu mehud kelma b’kelma mill-Kapitlu 14 tal-Manifest Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

Ġustizzja Ambjentali.
Alternattiva Demokratika tifhem li proġetti ta’ importanza nazzjonali jibqgħu jiffaċċaw diffikultajiet. Dan jibqa’ jsir sakemm il-Gvern Ċentrali u l-Korpi Parastatali jibqgħu ma jagħtux importanza adegwata lill-impatt ambjentali ta’ dawn il-proġetti kif ukoll sakemm dawn jibqgħu konċentrati fin-nofsinnhar tal-pajjiż.
Alternattiva Demokratika taħdem favur ġustizzja ambjentali u dan billi filwaqt li tinsisti fuq proġetti infrastrutturali u industrijali ppjanati b’mod li l-impatt ambjentali tagħhom ikun l-inqas possibli, tassigura li safejn hu possibli il-piż ambjentali ma jibqax jinġarr prinċipalment mill-komunità residenti fin-nofsinnhar tal-pajjiż.
Hi ukoll materja ta’ ġustizzja li min bena b’mod illegali jerfa’ r-responsabbilta’ ta’ għemilu. B’mod partikolari Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi li għandhom jitwaqqgħu immedjatament il-kmamar illegali li nbnew fl-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, kif ukoll dawk f’żoni oħra ħdejn il-baħar, u l-ispazju kollu mal-kosta b’hekk jingħata lura lill-komunità għat-tgawdija ta’ kulħadd.

Snippets from AD’s electoral manifesto: (12) The Role of the Community

The following extract is taken verbatim from Chapter 14 of AD’s Electoral Manifesto

The Role of the Community.
Various controversies have arisen on the impacts of large projects on the community. Reference is being made for example to the Sant’ Antnin Waste Recycling Plant, the touristic development at Ħondoq ir-Rummien, the extension of the Delimara Power Station, the extension of the Freeport and the mega projects referred to as the MIDI and the Fort Cambridge projects at Tigne Sliema.
In each of the above mentioned examples the community spoke up both directly as well as through civil society. In such cases AD is proposing that after the responsible authority would have processed the development application the community should have the right to express its opinion as to whether the project should proceed. This will be carried out through a local referendum called after a pre-identified number of registered voters make a request in line with the requirements of legislation or else through a call made by the Local Council on behalf of the community.
A project shall be submitted for the community’s consideration in a referendum after all the relative studies would have been concluded as well after the said studies would have been available for a reasonable time for all those wishing to peruse them.
However in the case of infrastructural projects of national importance it shall be possible for Parliament (which represents the whole community at a national level) to intervene and take a final decision after ascertaining that the objections of the local community have been addressed.

L-Estratt segwenti hu mehud kelma b’kelma mill-Kapitlu 14 tal-Manifest Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

Rwol tal-Komunità.
Diversi kontroversji jqumu dwar l-impatti fuq il-komunità ta’ proġetti kbar bħal dak tal-Impjant tar-Riċiklaġġ tal-Iskart f’Sant Antnin, tal-iżvilupp turistiku f’Ħondoq ir-Rummien, l-estensjoni tal-Power Station f’Delimara, l-estensjoni tal-Port Ħieles jew il-megaproġetti magħrufa bħala l-proġetti tal-MIDI u ta’ Fort Cambridge f’Tigné, Tas-Sliema.
F’kull wieħed minn dawn il-każijiet il-komunità semmgħet leħinha kontra dawn il-proġetti kemm direttament kif ukoll permezz tas-soċjetà ċivili. F’każijiet ta’ din ix-xorta AD qed tipproponi li wara li l-awtorità responsabbli tkun ipproċessat applikazzjoni għal proġett ta’ żvilupp, il-komunità għandu jkollha d-dritt tesprimi ruħa dwar jekk il-proġett jipproċedix, u dan permezz ta’ referendum lokali li jissejjaħ wara li jinġabru l-firem tar-residenti skond il-liġi, inkella b’talba tal-Kunsill Lokali f’isem il-komunità.
Proġett għandu jiġi ppreżentat għal deċizjoni popolari wara li jkunu ġew konklużi l-istudji kollha relattivi kif ukoll wara li l-istess studji jkunu aċċessibli għal żmien raġjonevoli għal kull min ikun irid jaqrahom. F’każ ta’ proġetti infrastrutturali u ta’ importanza nazzjonali għandu jkun possibli għall-Parlament (li jirrappreżenta lill-komunità fuq livell nazzjonali) illi wara li jassigura ruħu illi l-ilmenti tal-komunità lokali jkunu indirizzati, jintervjeni u jieħu deċiżjoni finali.