Throughout the past few days, KSU has expressed its discontent with regard to the recent events in the development of high-rise projects in Sliema and Mriehel areas. The student council recapped its position on sustainable development and presented possible choices and advancements for these projects in terms of a protest call for a national master plan.
KSU, being in favour of sustainable development but not against development, supports the dispute that a type of agreement on structured development is the way forward for Malta, nonetheless in order not to rush into things time must be given to think about the start of this project. Such projects should require geological investigation, impact evaluation and suitable study with the intention of planning the development in a viable manner possibly to guarantee the best for our island for the next generations to come.
Social Policy Coordinator at KSU, Etienne Buttigieg, expresses KSU’s opinion:
What we have witnessed is 51 student organisations coming together through the social policy commission forum to voice their concerns. However, we have not only stopped there, but went further and highlighted various key points and suggestions, such as the need for a more effective planning authority governed by a long term master plan. We believe that this master plan should be the result of thorough consultation with all relevant stakeholders including those from the NGO and local community structures. All in all, we are not against development, rather, we are in favour of sustainable development, which is planned and backed by an educated and researched decision, which favours everyone including Malta.
KSU has a strong desire for authorities to reevaluate the Mriehel and Sliema project before attempting to carry on with the project since Mriehel’s financial business centre will consist of four towers, being sixteen, eighteen, twenty and fourteen storeys in height respectively together with another five storeys underground. The Sliema 36-storey building consolidates 159 apartments, 4700m2 of office space and a 10,000m2 of retail space, which will bring about more congestion in an area, which is already dense and over-populated.
This being said, not only will it damage the environment, but it also does not provide sufficient comfort and welfare for either residents or visitors. In a press conference, which was held yesterday in Sliema, KSU demonstrated its beliefs and disapproval on the approvals of the build up of Sliema. KSU presented a document titled "Limitless Development- shifting the roadmap’, a document based on the reactions and thoughts that the students have on this project. Students agree that Malta needs to have sustainability and good governance, which respects the environment.
KSU believes that a mindset must be developed where the population is conscious of its surroundings and complies with what is best for the Maltese Islands. Therefore, Malta should conform to the seventeen sustainable objectives established by the United Nations in order to safeguard all the rights of a society as accepted by the European Union for its sustainable development agenda and target goals for 2030.
Photo Credit: Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
