The impression that big trees are going to be uprooted and that the Central Link project is going to leave a mess in its wake is mistaken, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Thursday.
Asked whether, given the public outcry that has resulted from the approval of the Central Link project, the government was being insensitive and should take a step back from the project, Muscat said that the government had already taken a step back from the project by changing the plans which had been proposed by the previous administration in 2006.
He said that this 2006 proposal would have taken up almost 60% more agricultural land than the now approved version of the project, noting that this was the sensible “step back” that the government had taken.
He said that there are indeed been groups who are very vocal in their opposition to the project and that their concerns need to be taken note of and that the government needs to communicate things better.
He said that the impression that big trees are going to be uprooted and that the Central Link project is going to leave a mess in its wake is mistaken, and noted that both the Birkirkara and the Balzan mayors had confirmed that trees will not be uprooted in this regard.
Muscat also cited correspondence that he has from people who live in the area and who have said that the project will save them being faced with a lot of emissions.
“The government has listened and will continue to listen”, Muscat said.
The Central Link project was approved last week however there has been outcry from members of the public, citing the fact that some 48,000 square metres of land and over 500 trees – a chunk of which are protected – will be lost to facilitate the project.
A protest has in fact been organised against the project this coming Sunday, while it took less than 24 hours for members of the public to raise the €20,000 needed to lodge an appeal against the project.
