The Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment wishes to refer to the announcement in the local media that the State has offered the possibility for St Augustine College Pieta to make use of the old medical school as a primary school, in lieu of erecting new premises.
The Commission firmly believes that this proposal is two-sided: while it serves as an opportunity to safeguard a so-far undeveloped piece of land, it also acknowledges the necessity of enhancing facilities offered by our schools. This line of reasoning works in favour of the sustainable development of our islands. It is a sensible idea which meets legitimate needs (in this case, St Augustine’s College), while at the same time makes use of land which is already developed, in such a way that the few environmental resources which still exist are protected (in this case an undeveloped area).
The Commission lauds such a proposal and hopes that it will serve as a catalyst for further solutions. It also acknowledges that the implementation of this project involves many expenses on behalf of the developer; hopefully this problem will also be solved.
We rest assured that there are similar cases which call for the same sensible attitude and respect in favour of our environmental resources and we are called to act with responsibility. We feel that where there is goodwill and awareness regarding the ramifications of our choices, be they social, cultural or economic, we can always come to a just solution.