On November 10th, a public discussion will be held in Kaštela on the Environmental Impact Study of the Kozjak solar power plant, the construction of which has been opposed by the Green Kozjak Civic Initiative from the very beginning, because, as they say, the study is flawed and does not take into account the specificities of the area and the parameters relevant to its protection. On this occasion, a press conference was held today in Malačka by representatives of the initiative, including Branimir Matijaca i Ivan Vicenco Pensa, and were supported by the mayor of Kaštela Denis Ivanovic, director of the Kaštela City Museum Ivan Suta, and the parish priest of Lukšić, Fr. Mario Buljevic.
As we already wrote in May of this year when we visited the site of the future planned construction of a solar power plant, due to private interests for the purpose of building solar fields, the area of untouched nature of Kozjak, the Biranj region along the Vilar hill, northeast of the Biranj peak, and south of the A1 highway, would be completely destroyed. In addition, for the purposes of building the solar plant, forest paths and roads would be widened to five meters below the Biranj peak, the so-called "Italian road", just below the church of St. John, which is located on the very cliff of the Biranj peak, which could lead to the demolition of the church itself.
This industrial project by the company Kozjak Energy doo, which commissioned the preparation of an environmental protection study for the Kozjak solar power plant, is strongly opposed by the citizens of the City of Kaštela gathered in the Citizens' Initiative GREEN KOZJAK, which currently brings together the Society for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Bijaći, the Ecological Association for the Preservation and Protection of the Environment "Our Beautiful Kaštela", all Kaštela hunting associations together with the Hunting Association of the Split-Dalmatia County, the Parish of Kaštela Lukšić, the Brotherhood of St. John on Birnju and the Local Board of Kaštela Lukšić.
They did not take into account all the specifics of the space and the parameters that are relevant for its protection
- We have been opposing the project to build a solar power plant on the northern slopes of Kozjak since the very beginning of the Environmental Impact Study, which was about two years ago. This project is completely devastating, because it would be carried out in an exceptionally valuable landscape area, with sinkholes, caves and a whole range of protected species. The project covers more than 165 thousand square meters of space from which life and use would be completely excluded - said Branimir Matijaca, on behalf of the Kaštel Lukšić Local Board, who is also a councilor of the City of Kaštel, and stated that this is an exceptionally historical cultural space of the Biranj region, which is an inseparable part of the sanctuary of the Church of St. John of Biranj, which next year marks the 750th anniversary of the existence of this space.
Branimir Matijaca
- The planners who worked on the project to build the Kozjak solar power plant clearly did not take into account all the specificities of that area and the parameters that are relevant to its protection. Unfortunately, the consequence is that we are now fighting together against the Study, which has been flawed from the beginning, and is being made available for inspection. One gets the impression that the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which is leading the assessment of the Study, did not work on its assessment, but rather refined it and favored the investor – he said Matijaca and called on representatives of the city of Kaštela and all associations as well as citizens to fight together against the Study, which will be held in Kaštela at a public hearing on Monday, November 10th at 11 am in the City Hall in Sućurac.
Can the project be stopped because it is still in the public presentation phase?
Considering that the solar power plant construction project is in the Public Review phase of the Environmental Impact Study, Mayor of Kaštela Denis Ivanović He believes that something can still be done about this issue. On this occasion, he emphasized that Kozjak has its own natural and historical wealth, which needs to be protected.
Denis Ivanovic
- There will be a public presentation and we need to see if we can take any concrete action or even stop the project. We all need to get involved in time and I hope we will achieve our goal, but I cannot prejudge the outcome in advance. We will establish a committee that will deal with Kozjak and try to protect it - he said Ivanovic and added that in the Spatial Plan of the county, the area is marked for research, it is not intended as a place for the construction of a solar power plant.
Therefore, the Green Kozjak Civic Initiative once again emphasizes that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy is once again favoring the investor. The environmental impact study is being revised for the fourth time.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection favors the investor
- The Ministry of Environmental Protection is acting as a branch of the Ministry of Economy and is favoring the investor by providing him with committee members, heads of county offices, to correct his study. What's more, this is the fourth version that we can print out and show how the studies are getting fatter. Why didn't the Ministry immediately reject the study and why is it favoring the investor who has some weight in capital. The fact is that the community is against it and that it is in the center of Kozjak, in the heart of completely untouched nature. They have never been to this area to see its history. They will destroy everything - added, among other things, the president of the environmental association "Lijepa naša Kaštela" Ivan Vincenzo Pensa.
Ivan Vicenco Pensa and Don Mario Buljević
The director of the Kaštela City Museum spoke about the historical significance of the site. Ivan Suta, emphasizing that the hillfort itself is on Birnju, one of the oldest castles in the Dalmatian area in general.
- We found traces that date back to the late Neolithic period. This hillfort has been known since the 80s and has entered the professional literature as one of the largest hillforts on the eastern Adriatic coast and in the northwestern Balkans in general. The hillfort's rampart itself is over 800 meters long and covers an area of 7,5 hectares - said Šuta, among other things.
The parish priest of Lukšić added that this historical site is priceless. Don Mario Buljevic and stated that we must not neglect tradition, heritage and natural significance, and everything that the location itself says.
- I can speak from the perspective of the spiritual heritage that Lukšić has, which is the heritage of the Sanctuary of Saint John. This heritage celebrates its 75th anniversary next year and has been preserved here for centuries, but has not been accessible to many. Today, when there is an opportunity to express opinions and positions, well-argued facts are being questioned - he concluded.
On this occasion, representatives of the Civic Initiative Zeleni Kozjak led by a hunter Peter Rodin They toured the area of the planned construction of a solar power plant on Kozjak with the media.
It should be added that this project will destroy the natural balance and wild animals will move to settlements, Rodin repeated. And the "touching" of Kozjak has already led to the appearance of wild pigs among the houses, which is what we are talking about recently wrote.
- This study completely ignores the hunting economy, which is crucial for preserving the natural balance. Only in this part, where the project is being conceived, are we keeping the game so that it does not move to the southern slopes and into the settlements themselves, literally between the houses. In this entire hunting ground, in layman's terms, we are keeping both the game and predators in the northern part, so that they do not descend into the houses. The biggest problems will be caused by wild boar and predators such as foxes, jackals, and even wolves - concluded Rodin.
Photo/video: Ivana Topić
