MHRA slams choice of site

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants' Association has slammed the government's choice of Ghallis for the development of a new landfill.

The MHRA said in a statement it had objected to the proposal in July 2003 but the government had gone ahead with studies showing it was determined to pursue the project.

"The fact that the government remained obstinate and continued with an EIA for the area is showing that it does not understand the value of tourism to our islands," the MHRA said.

It said the site is less than a kilometre away from the tourist zone of Bugibba where 45 per cent of the island bed stock lies together with a couple of hundred restaurants whose livelihood depends on tourism.

"It is also just half-a-kilometre away from an established hotel which has been there for over 30 years and from which depend the livelihood of over 200 families."

Excavations in the first years would result in stretches of muddy road, noise pollution and dust, the MHRA said, adding that the building process would turn the area into Malta's largest building site for the next five years.

The MHRA believes a number of smaller engineered landfill sites should be created from unused quarries. "The management of the smaller sites will be much easier to control and less prone to mistakes and problems."

The MHRA said new thermal and microwave technology would replace landfills in the coming years and these "could ultimately eliminate the necessity of an engineered landfill".

The MHRA asked what independent studies had been carried out to determine the impact of the project on tourism.