The general public is being encouraged to participate in the ongoing consultation process regarding the government’s 20 projects for the regeneration of Grand Harbour.

During an interview with Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) chairman Mark Portelli, he explained that feedback must be submitted by mid-November, as the process of consultation will be concluded by the end of that month.

The whole process was launched at the beginning of September. So far, a number of consultation meetings have been held with various interested parties. Minister Austin Gatt chaired three of these consultation meetings – with the constituted bodies, NGOs and local councils. All the meetings were well attended and to date the general feedback has been positive. Individual entities expressed some concerns about specific issues and these will be taken into consideration once the projects are fleshed out in further detail. All parties have been given up to mid-November to submit any further thoughts, concerns, reactions and suggestions in writing. At the same time, the GHRC team have held one-to-one meetings with interested parties, such as Mepa, MMA, MTA and the operators of existing concessions in the harbour area, such as VISET, Valletta Gateway, KCT, Central Cement, Bezzina Ship Yards and Cassar Ship Repair.

Dr Gatt has always made it clear that none of the 20 projects are cast in stone. Each and every project has been floated as an idea that is subject to change based on valid feedback, especially if hitherto unconsidered problems are highlighted.

By the end of November, the consultation process will be concluded and GHRC will make a submission to the government on the feedback it has received together with recommendations as to how the projects might be amended to take account of unforeseen issues that have been highlighted as a result of the feedback received. By the end of February 2008, the government will have formalised or approved GHRC’s recommendations and the implementation process will commence.

Priority is ruled by a number of issues: financial feasibility and input received with regard to planning, logistical and environmental considerations, among others. Approximately half the projects are justified economically and therefore will be carried out with or by the private sector. The other projects have a social justification and therefore will be financed by government either directly or through a government entity.

The projects to be undertaken by government include the reclamation of the beach at Rinella and the promenade linking Ricasoli to Senglea. The other government entities include the MMA, who are responsible for upgrading the quay infrastructure, and Enemalta, who will be responsible for decommissioning the Marsa power station. The exact timing of each of the social projects is yet to be determined and it is expected that these will be spread over the eight years up to 2015. Of course, the timing is constrained by external factors, the most obvious being that the closure of the power station is dependent upon Enemalta being connected to the European grid.

It is expected that the projects to be undertaken by the private sector will be completed within five years, as these can be carried out simultaneously. These projects cover various sectors, including tourism, with specific projects being the extension of berthing facilities for cruise liners, a five-star hotel instead of the Paul Boffa Hospital and a yacht marina at Kalkara. The exact timing mainly depends upon the extent of preparatory studies required – for instance, the extension of the cruise liner passenger terminal at Barriera Wharf will require marine and environmental studies. However, converting Boiler Wharf on the Senglea side to a cruise liner berth can be done immediately, as the infrastructure already exists.

Other sectors that will involve the private sector are culture and maritime services, with projects such as the Audiovisual Centre at Fort Ricasoli, relocating the Tank Cleaning facility, enlarging the super yacht facility, creating a Maritime Park on part of the Marsa Shipbuilding site and the extension of the quay at Ras Hanzir. For each project involving the private sector, GHRC will prepare a call for Expressions of Interest/Request for Proposals, which will outline the framework and conditions for the project in question.

While waiting for feedback, work is progressing on preparing the legal framework within which GHRC will operate. Although GHRC is already registered as a company with MFSA, an Act of Parliament is required to establish it as a corporation. This is apparently rather more complicated than it seems at first, as the Act will transfer land from the Department of Land to GHRC (contrary to what has been said, the 20 projects will not target any private property but only and exclusively government land) to enable the corporation to manage that land according to the remit it receives from the government and as inscribed in the Act.

Many have said, and it is a quite general perception, that this is all an election gimmick. If this were the case, it would have stopped at the issuing of the pamphlet with mock-ups and coloured pictures, rather than including the ongoing consultation exercise and all the backroom work that is being done in readiness for the government’s decisions.

Feedback from the public can be forwarded to the Industry, Investments and IT Ministry or to the appropriate place on the website www.miti.gov.mt