Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/995828
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 JUNE 2018 6 NEWS ANALYSIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "When architects design the pro- jects, the initials plans are always considered as preliminary as they will always discuss and re-discuss these matters to ensure that the necessary measures to safeguard the environment as much as possi- ble, are taken". The spokesperson also insisted that the environmental aspects of the project have been taken into ac- count. "This project in particular is look- ing to implement measures that will safeguard the Pinus Helapensis trees in Mdina Road, amongst other measures. With the implementa- tion of this project, the majority of these trees from the Our Lady of Victories Church up to the round- about at the end of Saqqajja Hill Road will be safeguarded as they will now be within a central strip in this stretch of Mdina Road". But for the sake of "the safety of our road users", 15 of these trees will be uprooted and many more new trees will be planted. "Therefore whilst today there are around 300 Pinus Helapensis trees located from the Our Lady of Vic- tories Church up to Rabat, once this project is completed the number of trees will be doubled". The government insists that the Central Link project is being imple- mented to reduce traffic and con- gestion in localities which have to date suffered from these problems. "Through its implementation the emission rates in these areas will be reduced drastically, by approxi- mately 13.5%. Moreover, the alter- native means of transport is also being encouraged through the in- troduction of new cycle lanes". The government spokesperson did not answer MaltaToday's question on the amount of agricultural land which will be lost in the area as a result of the widening of the exist- ing road. Environmentalist and ERA board member, Alan Deidun, had described the project as a Hobson's choice between losing more agricul- tural land and losing more trees. Neither is it known how many Aleppo pine trees will be uprooted in other sections of the project. The government's announcement that only 15 Aleppo pine trees will be uprooted in the stretch of road between the chapel and the Saqqa- jja junction represents a drastic change from original plans. Plans submitted by Transport Malta on Saturday still foresaw the uproot- ing of 135 Aleppo trees, including 76 mature Aleppo pine trees, in the so-called 'Rabat road' – the section of Mdina road passing through the countryside between the Pit Stop fuel station and the Zebbug/Saqqa- jja junction. Plans submitted on 13 June had proposed the uprooting of more than a 100 Aleppo pine trees on this stretch of road. The latest plans which have yet to be published on the Planning Authority's website, represent the third change in the space of a week. In a statement issued on Saturday, Transport Malta claimed that the majority of the trees in this area will remain in place and more than 200 additional trees will be planted. In its statement, Transport Malta also claimed that in cases where the removal of trees is necessary to ensure that the new roads are safer, these will be "replanted" in other places. But experts, like biologist Alan Deidun and bio-diversity expert Alfred Baldacchino, contend that it is almost impossible to replant mature Aleppo pine trees in other locations. Government revises plans three times in just one week It is not known how many Aleppo pine trees will be uprooted in other sections of the project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Just an hour before the vot- ing took place, Fearne said Parliament would be writ- ing another page in Malta's history – giving prospective parents better chances of having a child – as pro-life groups held a quiet dem- onstration, opposing the changes to the law, outside. "Every child born by IVF is a new miracle, of which we wish to see more," Fearne underlined in a press con- ference before the vote was taken. "I am more proud today than ever before to be part of the Labour party," he re- marked, "From the start of this process we kept to our principle of giving medical care at the highest possible level to those who need it the most. If science enables us to give such care, we will give it." Fearne said the time had come for politicians to let doctors do their job, and dis- crimination had to be elimi- nated on medical issues. He insisted that the gov- ernment had undertaken a consultation process, even though after the Bill's Sec- ond reading it was clear that there was a good majority in Parliament in favour of the legal amendments. "We did not just listen, we also made changes to our proposals – we understood that we had to remove altru- istic surrogacy from this law, and discuss it as a separate law," he said, "During com- mittee stage we had a long, detailed discussion on all those who wanted to come to Parliament and discuss with us. While we took on board certain suggestions, we could not agree with them." He said the government had rejected a suggestion to put high fees on embryo freezing, as this would cre- ate financial discrimination, and the government could not approve proposals which made IVF unavailable to those who couldn't afford it." "The current IVF system has failed four out of five couples who wanted to have children, but there are medi- cal processes which can help these people. What we are doing is letting people do their work," he highlighted. Pro-life protest A number of pro-life group members gathered outside Parliament in the afternoon to offer a last stand against the changes which they have been very critical of in the past months. Amongst their main ar- guments, the groups were asking why it should be pos- sible for us to choose which embryos live, and which do not. They also said they felt their arguments against the changes had not been lis- tened to by the government. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca met with rep- resentatives of the pro-life groups on Sunday, where she made it clear that she is constitutionally bound to act on the advice of the govern- ment and in the case of Bills approved by Parliament to assent "without delay", effec- tively shutting down specu- lation that she may refuse to sign the Bill after it is ap- proved by Parliament. Opposition says IVF Bill re- mains unacceptable – de- stroys life Speaking just before Par- liament was about to vote on the Third reading of the IVF Bill, Opposition leader Adrian Delia reiterated the Nationalist Party's stance against the law, which he said "destroys the life of the unborn child, and gives the minister the power to decide who lives and who dies." Delia said he would be giv- ing his MPs a free vote on the matter, as he did with other ethical and moral mat- ters. "This Bill creates inequality before birth," Delia empha- sised, "And it creates a state without a soul." Asked whether he would be in favour of an abroga- tive referendum on the Bill, Delia said this would de- pend on exactly what would be the law to be abrogated, as the Opposition did not want to remove the main Embryo Protection Act in any way. However, the PN would be in favour of any initiative which conserved life he said, adding that, if in govern- ment, it would remove any law which went against life. Embryo freezing now permissible in Malta