The government is seeking private investors to finance the building and operation of two floating islands in St Thomas Bay and Marsalforn, Times of Malta has learnt.
Known as modular floating systems, the structures will cover 400 square metres and increase the surface area available to bathers in these bays.
The government has issued a call for tenders and aims to have the two new swimming facilities in place by June 15.
They are expected to be placed in the areas known as Banju tas-Sorijiet, in Marsalforn Bay, Gozo, and off St Thomas Bay in Marsacala.
They will be connected to land via a floating walkway and will sport diving boards as well as nets at enclosed areas to prevent the entry of jelly fish. They will also afford mooring facilities for boats.
According to the tenders, issued by the newly-formed government company Projects Malta Ltd, the winning bidders will be granted a 10-year concession to build the facilities at their own expense.
The tender stipulates that the facilities must provide free access to the public every day between 9am and 6.30pm between mid-June and mid-September – the peak swimming season. When the summer is over they will have to be dismantled and stored away.
The facilities must provide free access to the public every day between 9am and 6.30pm between mid-June and mid-September
In exchange for the investment, which is expected to reach about €100,000 for each facility, the private operators will be able to run licensed commercial facilities such as bars and catering outlets on the floating decks. They will also be able to hold private activities outside the normal swimming hours.
A spokesperson for Projects Malta described the initiative as a pilot project aimed at testing the possibility of creating new swimming areas while easing the pressure on Maltese beaches.
“This is in line with major stakeholders’ plea to find solutions to existing overcrowding during the peak swimming season.”
The government must make provision for swimming zones, life guards and first aid facilities, but that is the extent of its input.
The concept of having small floating islands around the coast is not new. Many European cities, particularly those with no access to the sea, install similar facilities in lakes and along slow moving rivers.
Facilities in the open sea, as the ones being suggested in Malta, run the risk of being hit by bad weather and for this reason may not be in use for the entire summer.