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James Debono
There will be heftier costs for any golf course developer if the proposed Xaghra l-Hamra course is botched by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
That’s because any developer for an alternative golf course will also have to pay for the costly environmental impact assessment on the failed Xaghra l-Hamra site.
In comments to MaltaToday, the Ministry for Tourism confirmed the still invisible developer of Malta’s next golf course will be expected to bear EIA costs for the Xaghra l-Hamra site: “The Malta Tourism Authority is incurring all the initial expenses of the project which will, if carried out, even elsewhere, be passed on to the eventual developer.”
The costs incurred by the MTA remain a mystery as the ministry will not reveal the cost of various reports and surveys being carried out by independent consultants. It will only reveal the Lm30,000 paid to golf consultants Hawtree Ltd and the Lm10,000 paid to ADI Consultants.
But if the Xaghra l-Hamra site is not approved, the developer of any alternative site will be expected to pay for a misguided planning decision taken by the Prime Minister and MEPA.
The Xaghra l-Hamra site was first indicated to MEPA by the Prime Minister, but although it was never one of the 11 sites considered by MEPA in its October 2004 evaluation, it still considered the site as the better choice out of all others.
Considering that MEPA believes Xaghra l-Hamra poses less problems than other sites like Habel Bellu, Maghtab, Tal-Gawhar and White Rocks, finding another site for a golf course could prove to be problematic.
But asked what who would be paying for the costs if no proper golf site is ever found, a spokesperson for Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said: “this is a hypothetical question but we are sure that a site for a golf course will be found.”
Contrary to all normal procedures, the MTA has yet to submit an application for the development of a golf course at Xaghra l-Hamra, despite the fact that the EIA is already in full swing.
MTA has also not yet filed a development application for the golf course, where the proposed Xaghra l-Hamra site lies over a drinking water safeguard zone, which has been identified by the Malta Resources Authority.
The same EIA also takes into consideration the possible impact the golf course may have on the underlying water resources, the spokesperson said. “A final decision on the project can only be taken once all the facts have been established objectively,” the spokesperson told MaltaToday.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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