Environmental group Din L-Art Ħelwa has expressed concern at the Government’s recent call for expressions of interest on land reclamation.

Inviting developers to provide the Government with their own environmental and economic feasibility studies on such a project “is extremely dangerous,” the group said.

Earlier this week, the Government announced its intention to accept expressions of interest from the private sector to boost the economy.

These proposals, if not properly and impartially assessed, could “inevitably result in the loss of natural assets, which will be sacrificed for private and short term speculation,” Din l-Art Ħelwa said.

The Government had to find solutions to enhance the economy without selling off the country’s major natural treasures, coastline and marine environment.

Land reclamation should only be entertained if projects of major or national importance “warrant it” after serious economic and environmental studies were carried out.

Concern was also voiced by Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, another NGO which said the call made no attempt to distinguish between landfill reclamation, as had been done in the past to extend promenades and docks, and the creation of artificial islands.

Since land reclamation was “hugely expensive”, a private company was unlikely to undertake such a costly project to build a park or extend a promenade, the group said.

“The option of speculative residential projects will add to Malta’s confirmed 72,150 vacant properties and reduce the chances of sale of existing properties,” it added.

The Government was calling for any type of reclamation project “as long as it is economically and socially viable and did not harm the environment” while ignoring warnings given by a study commissioned by the planning authority, which forecast serious environmental damage to protected marine flora and fauna. The report also said such a project was not financially viable.

A more intelligent approach would be to focus on abandoned hotel sites and restoration projects to generate employment and improve Malta’s competitiveness, FAA said.

It was laudable that the Government stressed all projects had to be economically, socially and environmentally viable, but it was of “grave concern” that the EU obligation for a Strategic Environment Assessment was not mentioned, for a project that would permanently change Malta’s ecology and land-mass.