The controversial Qala Creek project (3)

Published on the Times of Malta on Monday, 21st June 2010 by Jane Carr.

The report by the Malta Maritime Authority (MMA), dated April 2009, seeks to identify sites for all-weather marinas and temporary marinas in order to help develop yachting facilities in Malta. The environment impact assessment report for the proposed marina development at Ħondoq is dated March 2009.

In its opening section on policy setting the MMA states: "No room for speculation - the development of new yacht marinas should not be accompanied by large real estate projects. With the exception of sites readily available and earmarked within a development zone, any new yacht marinas should function in a commercially viable way without the dependency for revenue from associated property."

The proposed development at Ħondoq is a marina with a large real estate project and is outside the development zone.

In the section on environmental criteria it states: "In this report, sites involving the natural coastline are not considered for all-weather marinas, unless they were previously considered in some other report."

The fact that Ħondoq has not been mentioned in this report as a suitable site for an all-weather marina implies that it has also not been considered suitable in any other report that the MMA is aware of.

As regards siting of temporary marinas it states: "Most of the temporary marinas being proposed occupy an area of less than one hectare, thus limiting the environmental impact. For Mġarr, Gozo, a larger area is being proposed as additional locations in Gozo are deemed unsuitable for temporary marinas."

So, Ħondoq Ir-Rummien was deemed unsuitable for both permanent and temporary marinas by the MMA as late as April 2009. What has suddenly changed that Mepa is considering the proposal now?

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