Church commission opposes Hondoq, but stops short of naming and shaming Augustinian Order who sold land

Published on the Malta Today on Wednesday 21st July, 2010 by Matthew Vella.

The Church’s environment commission has declared that the proposal for a marina and hotel complex in Gozo’s Hondoq ir-Rummien is unsustainable.

In a study it carried out on the project, the commission said it was hard to justify how this project will bring greater wealth and quality of life to Gozitan residents in the long-run.

“The project will not be conserving the area’s identity and beauty, which must be the principal assets to attract tourists towards Gozo. Using the pretext of clearing the existing quarry and rehabilitate it, there is a risk of speculating on the land without any consideration for the tourism product being offerred,” the commission said.

The Church commission added that it was a pity that the developer was allowed to buy this land “without the seller realising or caring of the damage this deal would result in.”

The seller is in fact the Augustinian order, which sold the land to Gozo Prestige Holidays for just Lm150 (€350) per tumolo. If the Gozitan company, headed by lawyer turned entrepreneur Victor Bajada, is issued a permit to develop its project, the Augustinians get €23,000 for each tumolo – a total of €1.58 million.

The commission called for a regeneration of the area in the form of a national programme that holistically addresses the rehabilitation of Hondoq ir-Rummien.

The commission said the project had plans to double the number of beds available in the five-star category, “in a time when such hotels are experiencing great difficulty.” Therefore, the hotel alone is not economically viable unless the tourist village and marina are also in the picture. However, the commission said, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) argued that the hotel is paramount for the marina to enjoy success, “so it's all or nothing.”

In a previous document published by the Commission in 2006, it was recalled that “arguments in favour of economic development that don’t respect the country’s social and environmental needs are poor and dangerous; as poor and dangerous as all out protection for the environment and development without social repercussions.”

The commission said its position "was not to make a so-called crib out of Gozo, but to ensure development on these islands is intended to improve the quality of life of citizens.” It hoped that the the unused quarry in the area will be cleaned and turned into a tourist attraction to generate money.

The church body added that Gozo was experiencing a lack of investment which in turn is cutting down on Gozo’s workforce. “The island’s most valuable resource, that of hardworking and intelligent citizens, are often forced to pursue a better future away from our shores... This is bringing about an alarmingly ageing population, showing us that there’s a need for sustainable development, especially where tourism is concerned.”

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