So close and yet...

It was indeed sad at a recent public hearing to listen to theories shouted out by the Ta' Cenc hotel developer and his noisy crowd as to why tourism has been facing a decline in our country. I sincerely hope that such insulting and degrading aggressive behaviour and booing does not form part of their day-to-day work ethic code...

As to yet another new hotel being built, what is the rationale when so many others have been allowed a change in land-use, or where such changes into apartments have occurred without much of a fuss being made over technicalities of the permitting system? Will this now pave the way, once again, for more new hotels to be built so as to appear to save the day for tourism and employment figures? On the other hand, was such noise raised when other hotels closed down and employees lost their job?

In what way exactly will the building of more villas bring long-lasting employment benefits to Gozitan employees? Have other options for employment generation been studied deeply enough to see whether protected areas themselves can provide for new innovative jobs, which can contribute towards increasing eco-tourism, especially in the low season?

Who will guarantee that this will not be yet another precedent that will eventually be used as an excuse, as has happened already on site, to eventually build more facilities, more villas and...a golf course?

Yes, it is sad to even think of having to be so close to the cliffs and yet so far from being able to enjoy the tranquillity, the views and the thyme-scented sunsets from Ta' Cenc cliffs (see photo).

And, incidentally, no, you do not need a hotel and villa development in order to fund a heritage park - that is the greedy way of doing things. But, after all, maybe, wanting to preserve such a unique tract of land and not wanting to see any part of it succumb to the bulldozers' might is just pure greed. Greed for want of a protected landscape that can be inherited and enjoyed by those to come.