One small big woman

Published on Malta Today on 24th December, 2006 This is part of an interesting interview that Astrid Vella gave to Malta Today. We suggest that you read it. To view it entirely, click on the link below.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/12/24/interview.html

The North of Malta and Gozo are the other environmental hot spots singled out by Astrid Vella. “As for Mellieha and Gozo, they are being raped. The big property developers are all eyeing Gozo as the next place which can be successfully exploited.”
She is very sceptical on the sustainability of more hotels in Gozo. “Hotels are closing down and their average occupancy rate of 35 per cent drops to 10 per cent in the lean months. In view of this, how can Giovanna Debono justify her statement that a new hotel and 200 villas in Hondoq ir-Rummien is the best thing that could happen to Gozo?” She contends that what Gozo needs is to protect its character, which attracts tourists, and not drive them away with more buildings.

Hondoq ir-Rummien – dream or nightmare?

Published on Malta Today and The Sunday Times on 24th December, 2006.

I was sitting at Hondoq ir-Rummien near a spot known as Ghar il-Bemberin. I looked around and saw only an open vista, Comino so close, the chapel on top of the cliff and the clean, clear azure waters of the bay. Capers were in full bloom among the other flora indigenous to this area. If one wants to escape the madness of everyday life, then Hondoq is the place to come.
Them I open my eyes – there is a makeshift road passing by Ghar il-Bemberin; trucks and bulldozers running back and forth; Comino is no longer visible with the dust they kick up; dust and debris blankets all the plants. The chapel is invisible as buildings rise and the waters are polluted. Noise and traffic on land and sea. The little ‘Garden of Eden’ has become just another stone and steel ulcer! And the bulldozers are still eating away at the land, never satisfied.I ask readers this question: which is the dream, and which the nightmare? I won’t say because the answer is obvious.

Joanna Cauchi
Qala, Gozo

On the road to Damascus

Published on The Sunday Times of Malta on 10th December, 2006. This is part of a longer article by Evarist Bartolo.

Reality check
Another reversal of policy, which is as admirable as the Pauline conversion 2,000 years ago, is Government's decision to abandon its plans to build a golf course at Ix-Xaghra l-Hamra at Manikata. If this plan were to be pursued further, we would have lost one of the few remaining open spaces of ecological importance in Malta. May this lead to yet another reversal of intentions on the proposed development in Hondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo.

Progett importanti... imma minsi

Pubblikat fuq t-Torca u l-Kulhadd nhar l-Hadd 3 ta' Dicembru, 2006 minn Ex-PN, Qala.

Is-Sindku Paul Buttigieg ghamel diskors ta’ aktar minn kwarta, fejn ftahar mhux ftit bix-xoghol li ghamel u li ghad irid jaghmel il-kunsill tal-Qala. Semma xi progetti li jrid jaghmel il-kunsill, imma l-iktar progett importanti ghall-poplu tal-Qala, fejn ikunu jistghu jahdmu z-zaghzagh taghna, nesa jsemmih jew ma riedx isemmih, ghaliex id-diskors tieghu kien miktub.

Tkellmet ukoll il-ministru Giovanna Debono, li ftahret hafna dwar il-progetti li wettaq il-kunsill. Qalet li kwazi minn kull triq li tghaddi tara progett jew monument li ghamel il-kunsill. Hasra li f’dawn il-progetti kollha li semmiet il-ministru, hadd ma jaqla’ l-ghixien tieghu. Haddiema li tilfu xogholhom mil-lukandi u fabbriki li ghalqu, tarahom iharsu lejn dawn il-progetti u monumenti, jimlew zaqqhom u minnhom jiehdu maghhom x’jieklu uliedhom ukoll. Fid-diskors taghha il-ministru ma semmietx meta se taghmel il-kanali ghall-ilma fi triq l-Imgarr u fi Triq il-Kuncizzjoni, li ma’ l-ewwel ftit xita li taghmel dawn iz-zewg toroq isiru bahar. Lanqas semmiet dak il-progett kbir li se jsir fil-Qala u li se ihaddem hafna nies. Ftit ilu qalet, li dan hu progett ta’ beneficcju ghal Ghawdex, imma fil-Qala quddiem il-Qalin ma semmiet XEJN.

F’diskors li ghamel il-prim ministru Gonzi, fahhar mhux ftit lis-Sindku Paul Buttigieg, ghax-xoghol li ghamel u li behsiebu jaghmel. Fahhru wkoll talli qieghed jikkonserva l-wirt storiku u ambjentali fil-Qala. Ballec anke l-Prim, nesa jsemmi l-progett majestuz u bzonnjuz ghall-poplu tal-Qala. Ftit ilu, Dr Gonzi wkoll es-prima ruhu favur dan il-progett fuq il-fosos, però gewwa l-Qala, quddiem il-Qalin baqa’ sieket u ma semma xejn. Li kieku semma’ dan il-progett, il-poplu prezenti kien jaghtih ovazzjoni mill-aqwa, li kien jibqa’ jiftakru ghomru kollu.

Sur Sindku, Onor. Giovanna, Onor. Dr Gonzi mela sthajtu ssemmuh il-progett ta’ Hondoq ir-Rummien jew qeghdin tibzghu ghall-voti ta’ Marzu li gej? Ghalhekk dan is-skiet kollu. Ghedtulna biex inzommu fommna sieket , sa gejtu thabbtulna l-bibien biex ahna wkoll ma nurux oppozizzjoni ghal dan il-progett. Tafu li fir-referendum li sar, 85% tal-poplu tal-Qala qalilkom LE ghal dan il-progett. Sur Sindku, kellek l-opportunità li tghid pubblikament li int u l-maggoranza tal-Qalin, ma taqblux mal-progett ta’ Hondoq imma dan int ma ghamiltux. Mela int favuru, hux hekk? Sur Sindku, ghid lill-poplu tal-Qala li vvutalek, jekk intix favur jew kontra l-progett. Ma tistax toqghod fit-triq tan-nofs ghax jew m’Alla jew max-xitan. Il-poplu tal-Qala mhux imbecilli daqs kemm qeghdin tahsbuh u se jaghmel il-kontijiet meta jasal il-waqt. Daqshekk hadtu voti minn taghna.