Qala referendum next weekend

The Qala creek project debate will be facing a turning point next weekend when Qala residents will vote in a referendum organised by the local council.

A positive outcome, together with the consent of the local council, would give the go-ahead to a project consisting of a 195-bedroom hotel, a tourist village with about 300 apartments, and a yacht marina, estimated to accommodate 150 to 200 yachts, all to be constructed near the Hondoq ir-Rummien beach and in the nearby quarry.

Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg, mayor of Qala council, told The Sunday Times that this project will definitely affect Qala residents, so it was only fair for the council to find out what they wanted by holding a referendum.

Mr Buttigieg added that the creek should be developed according to the Local Draft Plan issued by the MEPA last June, which specifies that the Hondoq ir-Rummien beach, which currently serves as a parking and barbecue area, should be unrestricted to public access, rehabilitated and supplied with basic beach amenities such as changing rooms and showers. Furthermore, any building should be unobtrusive and complement the environment.

Meanwhile, the council is campaigning against the project, saying it is excessive, disproportionate and gives rise to land speculation at the expense of the picturesque beach of Hondoq ir-Rummien.

Other lobby groups against the project include the Movement for the Protection of Hondoq ir-Rummien, set up with the aim of preventing development of the Qala creek, which is organising a petition, which it hopes will be on a national basis.

Voting in the referendum will take place in the Qala primary school library, on Friday and Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Counting of votes will start in the school on Sunday at 1.30 p.m., and the result is expected to be announced late in the afternoon.

There are 1,305 Qala residents entitled to vote - 638 men and 667 - of whom 44 are British residents.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued yesterday, Gozo Prestige Holidays Ltd, the company behind the Qala creek project, deplored the "undue pressure" being exerted on residents of Qala to vote against the development in the referendum.

This is only the second time a local council has held a referendum to gauge local opinion, the first being held by the Valletta council. "The results of a local council referendum are not binding on the authorities, and merely serve to assess local opinion," Dr Victor Bajada of Gozo Prestige Holidays said. "It should be borne in mind that ultimately it is for the Malta Environment and the Planning Authority to decide."