The proposal to build three hotels on ODZ land in the south of Malta is not ‘novel’ at all. It echoes the tune that had been set by Lorry Sant over 30 years ago. Considering the large size and location of the area that is now being proposed for the project, the idea is as shortsighted and unsustainable now as it was back then. Only this time we have the benefit of hindsight and should know better.

The proposal follows hard on the heels of another ‘innovative’ plan recently announced: to stretch the White Rocks complex building footprint right upon a vast area of the ODZ, some of which is protected. How bright and avant garde can you get?

The election promises were that the new government will be “progressive”. What is so progressive in repeating the infamous and ruinous ‘rationalisation scheme’ of 2006. True, the labelling is ‘novel’ – regeneration of the south, agrotourism, ODZ policy.... What’s in a name? The treatment to be meted out to the ODZ and to the open countryside by such proposals will be equally ruinous. Only now we have the benefit of hindsight and should know better.

The conclusion reached by the Consultative Council for the South, that the building of three hotels will regenerate the south, is simply irrational.

What it will certainly do is attract more cheap foreign labour to our shores. Demand for cheap habitation in the surrounding areas will increase and the south will be the poorer for it. It is illogical to think that the topnotch positions are likely to go south.

Education and solidarity will much better emancipate the south than the base imitation of overdevelopment

It has been said in pretext that “the areas are shabby, unused and abandoned... not good for agricultural purposes or to be enjoyed as open countryside”. Ingenious novel discovery. On this excuse alone, it will be justifiable to build all over Malta and Gozo, so high is the propensity of the Maltese to disturb land, unfortunately. The answer here is to rein in abuse. Nonetheless, the pretext takes the biscuit for originality.

In truth, irreparable harm will be inflicted upon the natural character of the south of our islands. Landscapes and seascapes will disappear, the limited ODZ will further shrink to levels that will not be able to sustain the scarcity of biodiversity that remains. Degeneration rather than regeneration.

There are some who cannot realise that our nation has reached the level of economic developement, which is well beyond the take-off point, when it is absolutely regressive to create imbalances and not take account of the opportunity cost. The Spanish experience has gone lost on them. Even to consider investing in much more of the same (construction) at the cost of losing our only scarce resource (natural environment) is erroneous and is bound to lead to general impoverishment.

What Malta needs is consolidation of our achievements over the recent years, using hindsight and self-critcism to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them. By continuing to raise awareness of the importance of the foundations on which our achievements are built – human resources, cultural heritage and natural environment - we go about strengthening them for the creation of wealth.

At the same time, we have to make sure that we leave to posterity a general betterment of these foundations.

The Minister of Education, Evarist Bartolo, and the Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, Michael Farrugia, have both recently expressed very rational ideas how to regenerate the south. That is the way to go.

Education and solidarity will much better emancipate the south than the base imitation of overdevelopment. After all, the plans at Smart City are only half baked. With careful preparation and judicious support they will, in time, come to full fruition for the benefit of all.

Alex Vella is acting president of the Ramblers’ Association of Malta.

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