Marina in a beauty spot - HONDOQ

Published on the Times of Malta on 6th September, 2006 by Alex Cali (AD Gozo).


Alfred Grech from Mosta (Embellishment Projects, September 1) seems to care very little about the beautiful Hondoq ir-Rummien Bay andsustainable jobs in Gozo. His argument seems to be that a marina is better than a clean swimming spot. That is his opinion and he isobviously entitled to it. Moreover, his contention that a yacht marina in Hondoq will have little if any adverse effect on water quality is as implausible as it is fatuous. This is not to mention the issue of free public access which as clearly indicated in the Project Description Statement produced by the developers, the whole foreshore (PDS, Figure14.4, page 107) currently accessible to the general public will be taken up by the marina entrance. When is the rampant expropriation of public land at the very real expense of the community going to cease?

That the whole proposed project is a half-baked shambles is symptomaticof the haphazard ineptitude of the MLP/PN duopoly. Instead of wasting millions on the Mgarr Harbour Terminal for a roll-on-roll-off passenger ferry, an extension of the already existing Mgarr Harbour could have created space for additional berths at Mgarr Marina. Even an extension of the harbour in order to host cruise liners would have been beneficial to employment creation in Gozo. But, somebody decided to spend the money otherwise and incompetence prevailed.

Mr Grech also stated that "It will also be protected from the prevailing winds from the north and the west." Does he not know that there exist other very strong winds called the North East as well as the South West?

In conclusion, Mr Grech cites "two rocks between Hondoq ir-Rummien and Iz-Zirka" around which the proposed yacht marina could be developed. I welcome readers to contemplate for themselves the damning implications of further irreversible destruction of the natural beauty of Gozo.

As to Mr Grech's accusations on Mr Galea gaining votes, well, if people are intelligent enough to realise that it is in their best interest to safeguard Gozo, and are wise enough to know how they should vote to get their message across, so be it! Gozitans are fast realising that AD cares for Gozo. ___________________________________________

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