Meet us at Tal-Bebbux, Żurrieq residents tell minister over land dispute

Two Żurrieq farmers facing eviction from land they have cultivated for generations are being misrepresented by government authorities, according to a fact-check issued by activist group Il-Kollettiv and Residenti taż-Żurrieq.

The statement, published on Thursday, rebuts claims made by the Lands Ministry earlier this week about a proposed development in Tal-Bebbux, an area currently designated as Outside Development Zone (ODZ). Activists accuse Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi of misleading the public by portraying the development as a community project while failing to consult the farmers or provide any details about what will be built.

The residents said that although the minister claimed the land would be used for “community purposes” and not sold to private interests, the effect remains the same: the farmers will lose their land, and agricultural space will be paved over for new infrastructure and buildings that could later facilitate further development.

“The fact that Zrinzo Azzopardi is insisting that the land will not be sold to private interests is a mere twisting of words; the farmers will still lose their fields and huge swathes of ODZ will still be built up for the benefit of private individuals,” the group said.

The ministry said that it had revised plans after discussions with the Żurrieq Local Council. However, the residents said the council is still a registered objector to the application, officially listed as PC/00068/23.

The fact-check also claims that aerial photos were recently taken of the land in a bid to downplay its agricultural value. Activists argue these images are misleading because they were not captured during harvest season. To counter the narrative, they have published photographs of produce grown in Tal-Bebbux as proof of its fertile use.

Farmer Annalise Schembri sat on top of straw bales on the agricultural land in Tal-Bebbux (Photo: Il-Kollettiv)

“We understand Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi may feel under pressure following the joint statement, however he should set his mind at rest that we’re not interested in attacking him. Our criticism and the opposition to the project would have been the same, but it’s a shame that our district MP is insisting on defending the development, going as far as trying to discredit farmers and residents in the process.”

Activists are now calling for the minister to meet them and the affected farmers at the site to justify the proposed development and explain why public land is included in what they claim is effectively a private project, despite official denials that the land will be sold.

The controversy stems from the 2006 Local Plans, which activists argued have allowed unnecessary development across ODZ zones. While the government has sought changes to these plans in other localities to allow further construction, no efforts have been made to revise them in Żurrieq, activists said.