News 01/09/2002

First reactions to Qala Creek project start rolling in from green groups

By Marika Azzopardi

The latest project the Qala Creek project presented to the public last week, has produced the first reactions, much in the same way as other mega-projects have before it. The Cottonera Waterfront Project brought down a government. Will the Qala project make political history too?

Rapped for approving the project ahead of the MEPA both the Ministry of Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority have been quick to recant making it clear that their competence does not extend this far.

Reports of the development could have given quite another impression: an excusable near miss by journalists reporting after being wined and dined and helicopter lifted from island to island.

MaltaToday approached various sources to take a sounding on this project. Qala Mayor Paul Buttigieg was non-committal: "We are urging people to go and see the project displayed at the Qala Primary School. It is important that as many people as possible see it before the public hearing on 10 September. We are sending out fliers to all 1,700 residents in order to encourage them to see what is being proposed for Qala. Following the public hearing, we plan to send out questionnaires to gauge reactions and get further feedback from them."

Architect Edward Bencini of Bencini & Associates who is representing the developers on the other hand is definitely optimistic. "I am just starting to receive feedback in the form of comments and telephone calls. Many are positive and involve queries regarding various details linked to the project. I must say that there have, as yet, been no negative comments. But we, as Bencini & Associates, feel that the time is still not ripe for comments from our part, at least not until the process involving the public is complete, so as not to influence decisions and reactions in any way."

The project has already had a virtual monopoly of the frontpages of leading newspapers well ahead of any possible comment or objection by the public.

The ecological and environmental impact of the Qala Creek Project is sounding various alarm bells within NGOs already alarmed at the extent of coastal developments and their effects on coastal and marine habitats. MaltaToday asked for the comments of Din l-Art Helwa, "We received an excellent presentation about the project from the developers on 12 August," explained president Martin Scicluna. "We raised a number of points of concern about the possible ecological impact of the project and the proposed density of the development. However Din l-Art Helwa will not take a final view on the proposal until the Environment Improvement Assessment has been studied and all relevant facts about the development and its impact are known."

Harry Vassallo chairman of The Green Party Alternattiva Demokratika on the other hand voiced concern from day one. "We are concerned about the creation of a new port near one of the very few beaches on Gozo. The recently published State of the Environment Report confirms the regrettable lack of monitoring for chemical contamination of bathing water. Contamination from biocidal and gender-changing chemicals in anti-fouling paint is a known but as yet unquantified hazard. The only sea exit of the proposed port is just meters from the beach at Qala. We should not be proposing new yacht harbours in uncontaminated areas until a satisfactory monitoring programme is in place to allow us to assess the impact of such projects. Doing things backwards means that Lm41 million could be spent before the foreseeable damage to this public beach is accurately assessed. As it is the Ministry of Health prohibits bathing in all harbours. Once the hazards are known the ministry will be constrained to put up signs warning bathers. By the time the proper thing is done it may be too late for Honqoq ir-Rummien and Gozo will have lost another of a precious few beaches forever. What do other tourism investors think about this? How do we evaluate the loss of a bathing area for the foreseeable future? What are the economic consequences for Gozo of such an irretrievable loss? For the quality of life in Qala?"

Dr Vassallo referred to the fact that Gozo’s coast consists largely of cliffs and that subsequently there are relatively few bays for Gozitans to enjoy. "By agreeing to this project, the Gozitans would be giving this bay to developers and risking the loss of one of the few places left for clean, undisturbed swimming."

The site earmarked for this development includes a disused quarry purchased by the owners in 1988. The developers claim that the Qala Creek project is directly inspired by Positano on the Italian Amalfi coast and stress that this project could create 400 new jobs on the Gozitan Island. Moreover, it includes a marina, a destination port, a five-star hotel, apartments, a wharf and jetty for fishermen and more. The whole project is estimated to cost approximately US$ 90 million and would take about five years to complete. It would include 260 residences, ample parking facilities, between 50 to 200 berths, and a destination port for 50 potential daytrippers.