A gap between the words and the facts

Published on the Malta Independent on 14th July, 2010 by James A. Tyrrell.

While the aims expressed on the Eco-Gozo website are very laudable, one wonders why there is such a gap between the words and the facts. The aims as expressed by the Ministry of Gozo are below in italics and quoted word for word; next to each aim I have expressed my confusion, which I hope somebody can explain:

1) A better quality of life – How will the Hondoq Project improve the quality of my life and of any Qala resident other than the developers?

2) A society exerting less pressure on the environment – Are we exerting less pressure on the environment by building a village and yacht marina in an Out of Development Zone (ODZ) area?

3) A wholesome natural and cultural environment – (See no. 2)

4) More sustainable jobs – Well, the answer to this was given by the Mgarr, Kempinski and numerous other hotels including Chambray which have employed foreigners rather than Gozitans in significant numbers. Maybe the proposed hotel at Hondoq will work miracles!

5) A caring society for all – I suppose that is typified by the developers’ solution to the increased dust problem to be caused by the building of the project: in typical Marie Antoinette “Let them eat cake” fashion, Dr Mario Vassallo suggests in the developers’ Environment Impact Assessment that the villagers can install air conditioning. So much for an environmental, social project. I’m sure the developers have us poor people in mind when they build the super-expensive apartments and casino! And we have to appreciate their thoughtfulness in building a marina for the villagers’ yachts! And if the bay becomes too crowded or polluted for use, or made off limits to non-residents, we will all sit together with the developers in the shade of the monster-project and invite Joe Demicoli to sing ejjew inhobbu li xulxin... Seriously, how can the Hondoq Project set up a caring society for all when so far it has done nothing except instil antagonism.

6) More quality investment – Do they mean similar places to those mentioned in no. 4? That’s all we need, another ghost town like Fort Chambray or a beautiful hotel like the Mgarr Hotel destroyed to make way for more empty flats to add to the over 10,000 vacant properties in Gozo. Isn’t the Ministry aware that you cannot drive down a road in Gozo without seeing an empty building that looks like a bombed-out relic from World War 2? You see FOR SALE signs that have been up for years! How many units were sold at the hyped Duke Complex in Victoria? How many at Chambray? And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

7) An enhancement of the island’s identity – The developers have repeatedly boasted that their project will be another Positano or Portofino, so much for Gozo’s enhanced identity! So we will end up with a polluted Hondoq, complete with a casino with all its negative side effects, increased noise, car traffic, and light pollution from the installation of streetlights, all masquerading as a down-market Portofino. I hear the Commune di Portofino are preparing to sue.

Finally, a last quote from the Eco-Gozo official website. I let the reader ponder how the proposed Hondoq Project conforms to this goal.

“The Eco-Gozo venture presents us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance our charming island and lead it towards a sustainable future, resulting in success and a better quality of life for all those who come in touch with Gozo. An island retaining its serene atmosphere and safety, generating peace of mind, where the environment is protected and accessible to all, where everyone is presented with opportunities, and where each person remains at the core of progress and development.”