| Front Kontra l-Golf Kors The Church State Agreement and the Rabat Golf Course Proposal � Most of the land falling within the proposed Rabat Golf Course is former Church property that has for generations been leased to 90 or more farming families, forming the basis of their way of life. � In 1991, the Church reached an agreement with the State of Malta, by which it agreed to voluntarily transfer this land to the State. In terms of this Agreement, the Church wished to regulate the uses for which the State would employ its property. This is because Church property is the result of donations by the faithful, who wished their property to be used to promote social justice in accordance with Christian teachings. � For this reason, the 1991 Church/State Agreement states: The Government shall use the property transferred to it by virtue of the Present Agreement to promote the safeguarding of the environment and the development of agriculture and to meet the Country�s most pressing social requirements, such as social housing and public utilities, as well as for humanitarian, educational and cultural purposes. � The Rabat Golf Course Proposal VIOLATES THIS AGREEMENT, which forms part of the Laws of Malta as: � It does not promote the safeguarding of the environment: 1. It would not respect the integrity of the existing landscape. 2. It would introduce an alien, highly invasive, species of grass, which may spread uncontrollably, replacing indigenous flora. 3. The Malta Resources Authority has warned about the possibility of contamination of the water table, as a result of the pesticides that would be used on the fairways and the Museums Department has warned about a possible threat to Mdina�s foundations as a result of the extraction of water to serve the golf course. � It does not promote the development of agriculture: 1. Evicting farmers and replacing cultivated fields by the golf course would definitely not promote agriculture. 2. The proposed golf course would utilize water which is currently being made available to farmers in other regions of Malta, reducing the water available for their agricultural needs. � It does not help to develop our public utilities: 1. By the developer�s own estimates, this golf course would consume a minimum of 77,000 cubic meters of water every year. Much of this water could be treated and used for ordinary consumption. Such a massive diversion of public water would reduce the overall supply available to consumers, possibly inflating the cost of the water supplied by the Corporation and leading to an increase in water rates that we all will have to bear. � It does not meet the Country�s most pressing social requirements: 1. Since the list of pressing social requirements refers exclusively to social, public, humanitarian, educational and cultural uses, all of which would employ the property for the public benefit, it is obvious that a private golf course must also be considered as a use of the property which can never be authorized under the Agreement. This is because a private development of this sort, being exclusive, profit-oriented and elitist, necessarily prevents the general public from using and enjoying the property. 2. It is wrong to argue that this Golf course will meet the Country�s most pressing social requirements because it would attract tourists and stimulate the economy. This is because the Agreement requires that the land be used in ways which directly and in themselves meet the Country�s most pressing social requirements. It does not give a blank cheque to the State to use the property in any way it desires as the end does not justify the means. � The following Church organizations have taken a stand against the proposed Rabat golf course: 1. The University Chaplaincy Media Team 2. The Jesuit Province of Malta 3. The Church�s Environment Commission � WE THEREFORE DEMAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES ACT TO UPHOLD THE CHURCH/STATE AGREEMENT BY REJECTING THE PROPOSAL FOR A GOLF COURSE AT RABAT. WE BELIEVE THAT SUCH A PROJECT CAN NEVER BE JUSTIFIED ON FORMER CHURCH PROPERTY WHICH IS COVERED BY THIS AGREEMENT. |
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