It was no surprise that the Malta Labour Party’s position on the government’s proposal to develop a golf course at Xaghra l-Hamra is negative.

Last week, a statement issued by the Labour spokesmen on the environment and heritage, Joe Brincat and Roderick Galdes, said that the MLP “does not agree” that the land between Ghajn Tuffieha and Mellieha be converted into a golf course.

The party’s official position came a week after Labour leader Alfred Sant paid a visit to the area. Alternattiva Demokratika and environmental non-governmental organisations had already expressed an opinion against the project and have already held activities to show their disapproval.

The two Labour MPs said the MLP was taking such a position because the criteria on the identification of golf course sites were not being met in the case of the Xaghra l-Hamra proposal.

The government, through the Tourism and Environment ministries, countered the MLP statement, saying that all the decisions taken on the subject of the golf course will be based on technical studies and reports, some of which have still to be completed and evaluated.

In its editorial of 7 July, a few days after the government announced it had identified Xaghra l-Hamra as a site where a golf course could be developed, The Malta Independent insisted that the project should be seen in the whole perspective – the protection of the environment and Malta’s needs, especially in the tourism field.

First of all, it must be said that the government has not yet made a decision. This was confirmed in the reply given by the two ministries to Labour’s statement.

Secondly, the decision will be taken after comprehensive studies of the area in question. It has already been established that the area of land earmarked for the development of the golf course is much bigger than is actually needed for the golf course itself. This means that the ecologically-sensitive areas can be safeguarded, and the golf course can still be developed without causing harm to the environment.

Added to this, the government has said that the

developer – if this particular site is eventually chosen – will have to fund the management of the adjacent ecological sites, which would therefore be a plus in terms of conservation of the environment.

Thirdly, there is a great need for another golf course in Malta for tourism purposes. It has been calculated that about 30,000 golfers would come over to Malta if there are enough facilities to cater for them. Golfers are known to spend more than other tourists do and Malta, it is known, needs the income from tourism, and not just numbers.

As other countries in the Mediterranean develop golf courses, Malta would be less competitive if we do not upgrade our facilities.

With another golf course, Malta will certainly be more attractive to those thousands of golfers who choose the Mediterranean because of its mild climate to practise their favourite sport. Here, golf can be played practically all year round.

As said, an environment impact assessment still needs to be completed before the government decides on the next move.

If, as TMID wrote on 7 July, such an assessment establishes that a golf course is viable and sustainable, if ecological patches in the area in question are not touched and are also taken care of by the developer, and if the golf course will enable Malta to become more competitive and bring over more high-quality tourists, then a golf course is a much better idea than a barren piece of land.