The CEO of the Gozo Regional Development Authority believes that the island needs to have a distinct set of planning policies if it is to be properly protected.
Speaking in an interview with The Malta Independent, GRDA CEO Ivan Falzon said that the authority will continue to put forward policy recommendations to the government so that Gozo is treated in planning policies in such a manner that it is distinct from Malta.
Falzon was asked whether current planning policies are adequate for what people want Gozo to be.
"One of the sentiments we hear from people is that they don't want Gozo to be ruined like Malta has been ruined - although I don't think that Malta has been ruined, it remains beautiful - and nobody wants that," Falzon said.
"But at the same time, the existential question is what we actually want from Gozo. Do we want Gozo to be a crib? Some Maltese may say that they do, Gozitans may not; they may want to live there, have a good life, continue to enjoy it, and live distinctly - and I think planning has to identify this balance," he said.
"We need a distinction in planning policies for Gozo," he said.
One such example was a directive for façades in Gozo be only made out of limestone and that another idea is to protect areas with building heights which are terraced houses.
"One of the main fears is that a permanent link [between Malta and Gozo] will get an explosion of development, and it's a fear that the government has to address with policies," Falzon, who is a big advocate in favour of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo, said.
"Mdina is connected to roads, but it is protected by specific policies," Falzon said, illustrating an example of where planning policies can come in as adequate protection.
He said that some may argue that the character of Xlendi and Marsalforn has already been destroyed, but he note that this was done without a permanent link - so the permanent link has nothing to do with the debate. "But you need planning policies which distinguish Gozo and its needs," he said.
Gozo and climate neutrality
Last April, the GRDA announced that Gozo had been chosen to participate in the EU Mission "100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030", a fund under Horizon Europe.
The aim of this mission is to have 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, an ambitious target of the European Green Deal and in line with the EU's commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement.
Through this mission, Gozo, through the GRDA, would receive advice and assistance from the Mission Platform, managed by the NetZeroCities consortium, providing funding and the opportunity to participate in pilot projects.
Asked what he is envisioning as coming out of this collaboration, Falzon said that by May this year the GRDA will be publishing a plan which will include a set of measures that are envisioned to take Gozo towards climate neutrality.
The measures, once again, would seek to treat Gozo in a distinct manner: maybe waste collection can be done at different times, maybe electric vehicles can be used for public transport, maybe the Gozo Channel can be retro-fitted, Falzon said.
"This report will take a benchmark of where Gozo is, present a realistic plan to the government which sets targets and denotes what can be achieved and by when. The government will then intervene to see what targets it wants to reach," Falzon said.
Gozo's economic shift
Falzon was also asked whether, on an economic level, Gozo has developed and changed over the last few years and whether there have seen shifts in the types of industries and sectors that Gozo is attracting.
"Within its limitations, yes, we had success stories," Falzon replied.
He said that the biggest success which left an impact on different levels of society - although, he pointed out, not all impacts were positive - was the Barts Medical School.
"Barts very strongly reflects what is within the GRDA's strategy, which identifies projects that are educational in nature as ideal for Gozo because they can lead to a multiplier effect across different levels," Falzon said.
He said that Barts, with a significant direct government investment, had resulted in a new economic niche which attracted a certain level of target clients: "300 students who pay elevated rates."
This has a knock-on effect which has a positive impact on the island's GDP, he said, but also a social impact on things such as property rental prices: Falzon noted that properties in Victoria close to the Gozo General Hospital which used to go for around €400 per month, now go for double that.
It's not only Barts, though, Falzon said. There are start-ups within innovative industries, in the gaming industry, in the tech industry - one such start-up was started by students, was sold to one of the biggest companies in the world, and is now on the Lloyd's List as one of the most influential countries in the maritime industry.
"There is a mix of local hardworking and loyal people in Gozo - there is a lot of employee loyalty because traditionally the opportunities were such that job-hopping wasn't realistic," he said. He also noted that Gozitans tends to have a superior survival instinct because of the additional hoops they have to go through.
Regional incentives by several ministries and government entities have made this possible, but there is still work to be done, Falzon said.
One such area is on salaries: "the average income in Gozo is still a little bit lower than in Malta - it's decreasing, but the gap is still there and the government's incentives are set to target these inequalities."
The first part of the interview was carried yesterday