The Green Whistleblower
Published on The Sunday Times on 8th October, 2006 by Alan Deidun
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Proponents of mega-projects have hoards of cash to splash around, and all kinds of studies are commissioned in their efforts to obtain the much-desired permit. However, one study which proponents would gladly do without is that on a project's economic feasibility one, which should dispel any doubts regarding the need for the project and its long-term viability.
As for the recent golf course craze, the Qala Creek proposals do not seem to be backed by any audit feasibility studies - what if the developers jump onto the bandwagon once the project is given the go-ahead and develop the area entirely into luxury apartments, citing economic failure, as has happened with the San Lawrenz Hotel, Chambray, L-Imgarr Hotel, etc? The proponents of the project should prove me wrong and publish the results of such studies, for public scrutiny.
Qala council's response to the project this time round appears to be a whimper compared to the roar four years back, although, to be fair, its submissions to MEPA on the project make many valid points. The following is the gist of the local council's submission (QLC/MEPA/5/2006):
Proposed hotel should be on a smaller scale.
Proposed numbers of self-catering villas and multi-ownership units should be watered down (since the total residents of the global number of new residences is almost double the population of Qala).
Reservations were expressed regarding the impact of the proposed yacht marina on the existing marine life and bathing water quality and who will shoulder the responsibility of enforcing marina regulations.
Hondoq ir-Rummien beach should remain in the public domain, extended up to the existing toilets through the use of suitable sand, and enhanced with the planting of palms.
A new road be opened at Ta' Bamberin, as a shortcut to Zewwieqa Bay, to allay the passage of the envisaged 120 daily truckloads through Qala, with the excavated waste being loaded upon barges and shipped away.
While such proposals are clearly valid, the local council has provided the developer with an olive branch by stating that any planning gain from the project should be channelled towards the construction of all or part of the proposed leisure park/sports complex in Qala (PA01303/05), that people from Qala should be preferred when employing staff, that a barbecue area should be created within the site, that bathing water quality monitoring should be conducted by the operator (daily in summer and weekly in winter) and that the number of parking spaces earmarked for Qala residents should increase from 90 to 120.
The local council should support the wishes of the majority of Qala residents and strongly oppose the Qala Creek project rather than seek. And by the way, whom did Minister Giovanna Debono consult before coming to the conclusion that the Qala Creek project is useful for Gozo?
More on Hondoq
Proponents of mega-projects have hoards of cash to splash around, and all kinds of studies are commissioned in their efforts to obtain the much-desired permit. However, one study which proponents would gladly do without is that on a project's economic feasibility one, which should dispel any doubts regarding the need for the project and its long-term viability.
As for the recent golf course craze, the Qala Creek proposals do not seem to be backed by any audit feasibility studies - what if the developers jump onto the bandwagon once the project is given the go-ahead and develop the area entirely into luxury apartments, citing economic failure, as has happened with the San Lawrenz Hotel, Chambray, L-Imgarr Hotel, etc? The proponents of the project should prove me wrong and publish the results of such studies, for public scrutiny.
Qala council's response to the project this time round appears to be a whimper compared to the roar four years back, although, to be fair, its submissions to MEPA on the project make many valid points. The following is the gist of the local council's submission (QLC/MEPA/5/2006):
Proposed hotel should be on a smaller scale.
Proposed numbers of self-catering villas and multi-ownership units should be watered down (since the total residents of the global number of new residences is almost double the population of Qala).
Reservations were expressed regarding the impact of the proposed yacht marina on the existing marine life and bathing water quality and who will shoulder the responsibility of enforcing marina regulations.
Hondoq ir-Rummien beach should remain in the public domain, extended up to the existing toilets through the use of suitable sand, and enhanced with the planting of palms.
A new road be opened at Ta' Bamberin, as a shortcut to Zewwieqa Bay, to allay the passage of the envisaged 120 daily truckloads through Qala, with the excavated waste being loaded upon barges and shipped away.
While such proposals are clearly valid, the local council has provided the developer with an olive branch by stating that any planning gain from the project should be channelled towards the construction of all or part of the proposed leisure park/sports complex in Qala (PA01303/05), that people from Qala should be preferred when employing staff, that a barbecue area should be created within the site, that bathing water quality monitoring should be conducted by the operator (daily in summer and weekly in winter) and that the number of parking spaces earmarked for Qala residents should increase from 90 to 120.
The local council should support the wishes of the majority of Qala residents and strongly oppose the Qala Creek project rather than seek. And by the way, whom did Minister Giovanna Debono consult before coming to the conclusion that the Qala Creek project is useful for Gozo?
posted by Hondoq at
9:19 AM
