SOS Hondoq meets European Commission

An ebullient Pawlu Buttigieg, head of SOS Hondoq, and recently elected Qala local councillor (MLP), returned a few days ago from discussions on Hondoq with environmental officials in Brussels.

The purpose of his meetings, he said, "was to make sure the EC officials could hear first hand what was going on". With the re-emergence of the community-refused plan for the "Qala Creek Yacht Marina and Tourist Complex", unlike many developers, the Qala Creek principals actively pursued the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). They commissioned a six-volume EIA that is as much distinguished by the facts it overlooks, ignores or simply makes up, as it is by its length.

Five or six years ago, a developer visited and viewed the abandoned quarry with a sheltered beach and small dock below Qala where Gozitans, foreign residents and visitors go to swim and barbecue. The water is pristine; the beach is part of the only bay on Gozo protected from northeasterly winds and is enjoyed particularly by young families, new divers and weak swimmers. Parking for 250-300 cars is easy and convenient.

The developer ignored the people who enjoyed the natural beauty and park-like potential of Hondoq. Instead, he envisioned a yacht marina with the quarry excavated to allow for a five-star hotel and multiple villas and shops.

Years ago, when the quarry was abandoned, the land was returned by the government to the Augustinian order in Malta, which once owned it. He made the Augustinian order an offer. They agreed that if MEPA ever permitted building there, he'd pay them even more. Ultimately, they would receive Lm680,000 which, they announced, they would spend on their schools in Malta.

In 2002, the developer submitted a Project Development Statement to MEPA. Local meetings, challenges and protests followed. The people of Qala and the hamlet of Kuncizzjoni united to oppose this project. It deprived them of their beach, threatened them with years of construction-related dirt, disturbance and physical as well as mental hassles, and in the end would certainly diminish their quality of life.

Who needed that? Not these people. In a referendum, approved by MEPA and approved by Dr Austin Gatt, 84.5 per cent of them voted No.

At that time, the project was proposed for an area deemed Outside Development Zone. Such proposals ran counter to MEPA policies. Currently, they counter the Gozo and Comino Local Plan announced by MEPA in 2006 and, delivered in printed flyers, in August 2006 to local homes. That should have been the end of it. But, also in 2006, the government's new "rationalisation scheme" appeared. It included that formerly MEPA-"forbidden area" as one now open to development. Instantly, the Project Development Statement for the "Qala Creek Yacht Marina and Tourist Complex" resurfaced. Same plans, same players and the same disregard for community concerns.

Effects on local communities

Councillor Buttigieg arrived in Brussels armed with studies and statistics to back up the details of the community concerns.

First was the construction process itself, projected to last only five years. That length of time sounds unduly optimistic but even if it is accomplished by then, that's five years of loud noise, diesel fumes and dust. The EIA assures that "any noise nuisance will only occur due to vehicular traffic and not to work procedures on the site". But vehicle traffic is part and parcel of the work onsite.

In addition, pollution and road destruction already exist caused by trucks from the other quarries using the roads through Qala, including Qala Square. They've made Qala the second most polluted village on Gozo, according to MEPA reports, besides creating damage, such as broken pipes under the best roads.

But these proposed Qala Creek dump trucks aren't the regular size seen in Gozo. They are enormous, as may be seen in the photographs included in the EIA report. The trucks from the Qala Creek project together with those already servicing quarries mean that one truck per minute and a half will pass through some areas... six days a week.

Not only will they be sharing the roads with cars but, even more importantly, with herds of local sheep, captured in an accompanying photograph, although not one included in the EIA report.

Enjoying the bay during five years of construction

An EIA analyst writes: "The EIA also states that the beach will not be affected by the construction of Qala Creek project. This is not true. Who in his right mind is going to swim or enjoy the nature of this place when noise, dust mixed with diesel fumes, and explosions from rock blasting, only metres away, will be the order of the day for the next five years?"

If bathing is allowed during the five years of construction somebody might get killed either by dynamited rocks flying out of the quarry (as has happened in the past) or from impatient truck drivers.

Despite the EIA comments from one EIA contributor calling this area a "dumping site", who clearly has never visited Hondoq, the technical part of the EIA confirms that the waters are actually crystal clear. But they will be dirtied by the boats - just look at Mgarr Harbour next door.

No longer will beginning divers be able to practise there safely. No longer will beginning swimmers or people with disabilities be able to bathe there safely. No longer will families from villages along the coast be able to enjoy picnics and cool evenings on the beach. And where will they safely park their cars?

They'll have to get used to the inconvenience. Once completed, the hotel will only have space for 90 non-resident vehicles. Moreover, it's not just Qala that will be affected; the coast of Gozo will suffer the ripple effects of the heavy yacht and small cruise ship traffic and debris. Additionally, parts of Comino will suffer from the altered coastline and from the pressures of a cruise ship marina.

Job development

Contrary to claims that this project will employ 600 workers during construction and, after completion, provide another 600 permanent jobs, it's highly unlikely because none of the hotels, including the yacht marinas in Gozo, have this many employees.

Ones like Fort Chambray, currently under construction, are not producing many jobs. The only real expansion will likely be seen in the arena of house cleaners. Increasing number of Gozitans, mostly women, may find that cleaning is their only career option, and not a very lucrative one.

With tourism down to a pitiful 35 per cent occupancy rate, real estate on Gozo stalled and historical sites deteriorating, it's hard to fathom why building more commercialised tourist centers, five-star hotels, upscale villas and timeshare units would be attractive to any good business person. One possible answer evidently lies in recent history, when failing tourism projects were converted into upscale residential properties for speculative ends.

Remember the Mgarr Hotel? How about the Andar Hotel near Xlendi or the Atlantis in Marsalforn?

Next steps

The good news is that Councilor Buttigieg's meetings in Brussels were productive. The principals at the EC with responsibility for Gozo and Malta are now very clear about what's going on. They are not fooled or frightened by a six-volume Environmental Impact Assessment. They expect all concerned to keep them updated on events and to be vigilant that proper procedures are followed.

Appreciation to Angelo Xerri for his contributions to this article.