The environment NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (Together for a Better Environment) endorses Mr Gerada Azzopardi’s comment that the Ta’ Cenc debate, like any other environment issue, should be characterised by balance, and not extreme stands.
At the same time we understand Lesley Kreupel’s argument; all too often it seems that golf courses, yacht marinas and heritage parks are being tagged onto prospective major projects, in order to justify the granting of permits for buildings which would not otherwise be permitted out of the development zone.
One wonders if there is as much demand for these golf courses, yacht marinas and park projects as the developers assure us. Do they really need all these additional dwelling units around them to survive? In the case of the heritage park, Victor Borg has the distinct advantage that his site is rich in rare flora and fauna, as well as being the site of 108 documented historic remains. Therefore, if he is really genuine about converting it into a heritage park, as I’m sure he is, he is sure to obtain some EU or UNESCO funding for the project, without the need to build up the ta’ Kantra villas, which he is claiming are necessary for the funding of the project.
As for the golf course area, Mr Gerada Azzopardi does not highlight the fact that Zone 7, the large stretch of land not covered by the EIA and potentially earmarked as a golf course, lies slap bang in the middle of the site. Therefore, how any Environment Impact Assessment of the site can be considered by MEPA to be complete when a large chunk of it is missing, is what baffles the NGOs. The suggestion that this area be handled in a later EIA is risible, as any plans being decided now will be affected by Zone 7’s eventual land use, therefore a holistic assessment of all aspects of the whole site is a sine qua non.
Mr Gerada Azzopardi dwells on the employment potential of the project. What much of the public is not aware of is that an undefined percentage of the Ta’ Cenc project is given over to ‘multi-ownership’, the latest development in supposedly touristic projects.
As I understand it, this is a permanent form of timeshare, in which weeks or months of a property are bought on a permanent basis, not limited to a number of years, with the shared parts of the estate entrusted to a management company.
This permanent ownership is likely to appeal to Maltese buyers seeking less expensive up-market holiday homes, and as such will be another form of real estate, or speculation, rather than a purely touristic project. Naturally such residential villas do not require anything near the staffing levels of up-market hotels so there again one must be realistic when justifying the project on the grounds of the employment opportunities it will create.
As for aspirations to market Gozo as a 5-star destination, our policy-makers need to recognise that 5-star tourists are also extremely conscious of the environment, and so we are shooting down any hope of attracting such up-market visitors with rampant over-development of Gozo. If we want to attract such upmarket tourists, we should be leaving beauty spots like the stunning Mgarr ix-Xini in its present pristine state, and certainly not ruining it with yet more construction.
Astrid Vella
Coordinator, FAA
www.ambjentahjar.org