In a recent publicity stunt, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg announced that within the next six months an international call for the construction of the tunnel project will be made.
The fact that many Gozitans are in support of building a tunnel between Malta and Gozo should come hardly as a surprise to anyone. There are perfectly good reasons why they want a permanent connection to Malta to finally start.
Yet, as usual, people are being treated as morons, not shown the full picture and not given a realistic idea of the impact this project will have. They are not being given reasonable alternatives but presented just another Hobson’s choice.
As the tunnel promises to bring investment to Gozo, make accessibility to Malta easier and promises to stop the brain drain from Gozo, one asks how this will all be achieved without a permanent negative impact on the unique and rare heritage which Gozo through its insularity has accumulated over many centuries.
There is no master plan in place ready to protect what should be considered the last remaining patrimony and mecca of high-end tourism destinations.
There is no talk about how Gozo will be protected from ODZ petrol stations, more low-end apartment buildings, ghettos, higher rents for local families, higher pollution levels, and deterioration of the environment. There is not even a definite destination for the large amount of debris that will come out from the tunnel, save from a petty attempt by the Prime Minister suggesting a bizarre last-minute afterthought land reclamation project.
What is most disturbing is that both political parties officially hold the same position, yet I know for a fact that within their ranks, there are many who see it differently, however not speaking up and not attempting to save Gozo from destruction.
Haste and political rhetoric of the minister’s announcement left out important considerations which needed to be outlined well before rushing to the press claiming that well over 80 per cent of Gozitans are in favour of a proposed tunnel.
The first matter to consider is that the minute the tunnel project link starts, Gozo will lose its chance to qualify as a region within the EU, with the consequence of losing out on around €250 million of direct funding.
As Malta steadily gains its economic equilibrium and becomes a net contributor, the chances for obtaining any future direct funds diminish considerably.
As a fact, there is not one previously announced project, completed to date, with some of them like the Għajnsielem old people’s home at a standstill for many months. No direct funding was obtained for Gozo in the past years, and adding insult to injury, Gozo’s budget was just an add-on to another sector.
The tunnel project will approximately cost €700 million, meaning that while the government finds no issue spending so much money on a single project, this year’s budget allocation for Gozo was a miserable €15 million.
Just consider what €700 plus €250 million as direct investment in Gozo would mean. How infrastructure could be improved, marketing investment, setting Gozo as a unique destination in the Mediterranean. The much-needed funds to upgrade the health system in Gozo, which despite the many promises, remains mediocre at best.
Money which could be used to clean up the island, which at present is a rubbish dump, with waste in every corner that is away from the eyes of those casually visiting Gozo by car. Valleys remain the main waste catchment areas literally overflowing with rubbish that is never collected.
People are being treated as morons, not shown the full picture and not given a realistic idea of the impact this project will have
Bringing back the many services which have been strategically removed from Gozo and taken to Malta, forcing Gozitans to need to travel to gain access to them and other most basic needs. How some of this money could be used to recuperate Comino, refurbish the old school and turn it into an institute of excellence in archaeology, anthropology, environmental studies.
The agricultural sector could benefit from funding by creating the much-needed waste management plant, a milk processing plant in Gozo, improving labelling of local products.
Students could be given the opportunity to study from Gozo by means of funding and remote learning and do away with the high rents and lengthy travel time. Much needed investment in rehabilitating historical buildings like the Qolla l-Bajda Battery in Żebbuġ, the dilapidated aqueduct and the water pump station in Mġarr Ix-Xini.
The same funds which could help promote direct connectivity of Gozo to an international internet service provider bringing in a robust, reliable and excellent infrastructure which could entice niche digital, low footprint eco-friendly jobs and businesses.
The only illusive gain the pro-ject will give is an assumed shorter waiting time at the terminal. Yet there is also a point of contention in this supposed benefit, since the failing strategy of the present administration in dealing with the ever-increasing traffic volumes, inevitably means that the few minutes gained at the terminal will be entirely lost once we cross over to the mainland.
The commercial sector will also not gain from the tunnel since it will be using the same traffic congested routes, rather than use a maritime motorway direct to the proposed deep water quay in Marsa.
Gozo Channel will not be sustainable anymore and most employees and their families will need to find other ways how to make ends meet. Security implications will mean that dangerous goods cannot be transported via the tunnel, and a bomb threat will mean immediate closure of the only route to Malta and back.
I often ask myself why the Gozo Business Chamber is focusing resources towards supporting the tunnel, rather than consider really what is in the interest of gozo businesses.
Why is it not speaking up and challenging this project? The answer lies in the fact that people running Front favur it-Tunnel, and the Gozo business chamber are business related with vested interests in the construction industry and property markets, leaving no room for objective impartial agendas.
To establish a realistic show of support for such a project, the honourable minister should ask interested parties one simple question. Whether they would prefer to see millions of euros spent on digging a mole tunnel, or see the money used as a direct investment in Gozo and bring it to its former glory, rediscovering its soul and revitalising its energy to become a self-sustainable economic jewel in the Mediterranean.
Steve Pace is a strategic thinker.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece