The latest news in the Marsascala yacht marina proposal saga puts the ball squarely in the government’s court. Will it listen to the locality, or do whatever it wants?

Minister Ian Borg, according to a statement by Moviment Graffitti, had pledged that Transport Malta would not move forward with the second phase of the Marsascala marina process until the local council’s final position is made clear.

On 20 January 2022, the Marsascala Council met with Minister Ian Borg on the issue and, in this meeting, Minister Borg said that he was not aware of the Council’s August 2021 motion against the call for investors in the yacht marina, which also states that there should be no private concession for such a yacht marina, the NGO statement read. The minister, according to the statment, proposed that the Council discuss the motion and by mid-February reconsider to allow for a motion that does not completely exclude concession of space to the private sector. The Council then met on 24 January and unanimously agreed to uphold its August motion.

One hopes that Minister Borg will adhere to the wishes of the people of the area and not run roughshod over the Marsascala residents. If the minister goes through with the project, that would show just how much this is a government that ‘listens’.

The January 24 motion, according to Graffitti’s statement, says: “The Local Council is against the proposal for a yacht marina in Marsascala, presented in Transport Malta’s pre-qualification document and condemns its publication without consultation with the Marsascala community. The local council demands that this document be withdrawn immediately and that plans for a yacht marina in Marsascala be abandoned completely. Transport Malta should launch immediate discussions with the local council, with residents of Marsascala and with the local associations, for the organisation of existing berths, for the protection of the cultural and social customs of the locality, the protection of the marine environment and for safeguarding the swimming zones of the bay.”

Transport Malta must back down on the marina proposal. Residents of an area should have a say in the way their locality develops. People spend hard earned funds on picking a home and having government come up with such major plans without consulting the residents of the area, as had happened when the marina was first suggested, is an insult.

Marsascala residents have made it very clear that they are not interested in this marina project. So listen to them.

During the local council’s meeting with Minister Borg, he referred to the possibility that Transport Malta intervenes without private sector investment to repair the breakwaters and organize existing berths, the NGO statement read. This is the kind of thing that should actually be done in the area.

The residents, with the help of the local council as well as NGOs and groups have spoken about their wishes. Will the government listen?