Residents protest the overdevelopment of Gozo

A small group of people organised a sit-down protest in Victoria, Gozo, on Sunday, to raise awareness on overdevelopment in the island.

The ‘Save Gozo’ protest was organised by Gozitan citizens with the support of Flimkien għal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA).

In a statement, the organisers said the protest was held to “empower Gozitans to stand up for their rights to a decent quality of life and environment, both of which are being rapidly eroded by rampant over-development of the island’s beautiful landscapes and villages.”

“Gozitans are alarmed by what can only be seen as an unremitting pro-development stance taken by the Planning and Environment authorities when they should be fulfilling their roles of protecting heritage and the environment whilst keeping ODZ lands safe.”

They said Gozitan citizens need development to be sustainable and respectful whilst preserving the unique cultural and natural heritage of the tiny island. “Gozo needs to be protected for future generations and not treated simply as a cash cow for developers."

FAA said Malta has already been ruined by the “uglification” that the authorities have promoted through damaging policies which they refuse to rescind, with the damage now spreading to Gozo.

“Its impacts of toxic pollution, wholesale destruction of heritage buildings and landscapes and erosion of quality of life need to stop this now!" they said.