Enhancing our environment

A wide discussion on the proposed golf course at Ghajn Tuffieha should be encouraged. After all that is the main reason why a public consultation process is carried out by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. This process determines what goes in the final terms of reference for the environment impact assessment on the proposed golf course. No one should object just for the sake of objecting.

In his contribution Below Par, John A. Mizzi (August 27) asked how is the area of Ghajn Tuffieha to be turned into a golf course when most of it is hard rock, swept by winds and heavy rain in winter and scorched by a blazing sun in summer. Two paragraphs further down he asks: "How can anyone say this promotes tourism and generates money (obviously to one specific promoter) while denuding a fertile agricultural area and robbing all farmers of their livelihood and at the same time depriving the public from buying the produce on the open market?"

Mr Mizzi should decide whether the land in question is hard rock or fertile agricultural area. A small part of this land is agricultural area, which, notwithstanding the termination of lease notices issued to the farmers, will in its majority remain in the farmer's hands to be tilled and for us all to buy "the produce on the open market".

The area earmarked for the golf course is double that needed for such a project. So it stands to reason that during the planning process all measures will be taken to protect heritage and agricultural sites.

The development of two more golf courses, one in Malta and another one in Gozo, is of absolute importance if we want to remain competitive in the international tourism market. Mr Mizzi asks: "Who is coming to Malta to play golf when there are so many wonderful courses round the Mediterranean, not least in Tunisia?" With one golf course in Marsa there are already hundreds of golfers who come to play golf but golfers insist that for a country to become a golfers' destination you need to have at least three golf courses. Why should we leave thousands of golfers to go to neighbouring countries when we could attract them to our islands? Experts in the tourism sector estimate that as many as 30,000 golfers could be attracted to our country every year if we have more than one golf course. The financial benefits to our country - and not to one specific promoter - run into millions of liri.

A golf course will also embellish the environment and will be an added incentive for the farmers in the area. The area in question is mostly hard rock. With a golf course this area will be turned into an extensive green area. Watering this area should not be a problem. Half of our drinking water is produced by reverse osmosis plants. A small reverse osmosis plant on this site, which is a few metres away from the sea, will provide all the water needed.

Why should the Prime Minister dissociate himself from this project? The Prime Minister should go on promoting the golf course because it is important for our economic development, it enhances the area in question and provides a much-needed facility if we want to attract visitors whose spending power is higher than that of ordinary tourists.

After all we cannot go on increasing the number of tourists that visit our islands. We already attract 1.2 million tourists when our population stands at 400,000, that is three tourists for every member of our population. France, which is the country with the highest number of tourist arrivals in the world, attracts 1.25 tourists for every member of its population.

Many people persist in opposing every project as if they do not know further.

A public consultation exercise on this project will determine what goes in the final terms of reference for the environmental impact assessment. Besides, 13 different studies on ecology, agriculture, cultural heritage, noise, air, water, traffic, landscape, social impacts, economic and visual amenity will be carried out.

Not by foreign experts but by Maltese who are experts in their respective area of interest!