Xemxija Bay or Xemxija harbour?

On a visit to the Malta Maritime Authority, Minister Censu Galea has revived the idea of a yacht marina at Xemxija Bay. Notwithstanding the opposition by the residents of Fekruna/Xemxija/Pwales/Dellija to this project, the minister seems determined to ride roughshod over their wishes and is proposing the destruction of the Fekruna/Xemxija/Pwales/Dellija as the last villaggjatura area in Malta.

During the last few years and on various occasions, the residents of these areas have already expressed their opposition to a yacht marina and also proposed a few changes in order to restore Xemxija Bay to its original status of a quiet villaggjatura.

During the various consultation meetings held with the mayor of St Paul's Bay and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the views of the residents of Fekruna/Xemxija/Pwales were amply demonstrated and the minister is au courant with their wishes as petitions signed by the residents were presented to him, the mayor and Mepa.

The residents are against a yacht marina because it would deprive them from swimming in Xemxija Bay and would destroy the villaggjatura characteristic of this area.

They are in favour of reversing the process of turning Xemxija Bay into Xemxija harbour. They are in favour of having the number of boats, berthed haphazardly there, to be controlled as happens overseas (for example Lake Konstanz, which is administered by Germany, Austria and Switzerland) in order to lower the levels of pollution caused by diesel/petrol and other rubbish emanating from boats.

They are in favour of the linkage of St Paul's Bay by-pass to the Mellieha bypass, which will drastically decrease the traffic flow through Xemxija Hill and thus will render this road quieter and safer for us all, especially our children.

They are in favour of some decent amenities being installed in Pwales, where the Boy Scouts Association has been camping for the last 50 years.

They are in favour of the embellishment of the promenade from Xemxija Bay up to the Fekruna area which is shabby and has been neglected for years on end.

They are in favour of proper swimming facilities in Fekruna as well as in the Dellija area. They are in favour of the rehabilitation of Xemxija Bay which used to have a nice sandy beach. Why not repeat the St George's Bay success at Xemxija Bay? If Xemxija Bay is rehabilitated, this would be beneficial to Mellieha Bay/Armier Bay because it would relieve pressure from bathers preferring a sandy beach.