Church commission ‘does not have any inhibitions about criticising anyone’

Published on the Malta Independent on Sunday 22nd August, 2010 by Francesca Vella.

The Church’s inter-diocesan commission on the environment was well aware that the Augustinian religious order, which forms part of the Maltese Church itself, had sold land in Hondoq ir-Rummien when it criticised the seller of the area that is earmarked for a mega tourist development.

In an opinion published on 21 July, the Church commission said it was a pity that the developer was allowed to buy the land without the seller not realising, or not caring about, the damage the sale could cause.

The developers are proposing the construction of a massive project comprising a hotel, yacht marina and tourist village on the 68-tumoli site, which used to be owned by the Augustinians.

The Order sold the land on promise of sale (kunvenju) to Victor Bajada of Gozo (Prestige Holiday) in 1988 for Lm10,200 (€23,760) – on condition that full development permits were awarded.

The promise of sale states that if development permission for the land is granted, the Order will receive the full sale price of Lm10,000 (€23,294) per tumulo and at 68 tumuli, the total sale price amounts to Lm680,000 (€1,583,974).

In reply to questions put by this newspaper, the Archbishop’s Curia said the inter-diocesan commission on the environment is aware that the original owner of the land in Hondoq was the Augustinian order.

Asked why the commission did not mention the order by name in its opinion, the Archbishop’s Curia said that since this was public knowledge, the commission did not feel the need to name the original owner.

“Yet, this did not hold back the commission from expressing its opinion on the matter in no uncertain terms. As the commission has done in the past, it does not have any inhibitions about criticising anyone, as long as it can justify such criticism as based on the principles of sustainable development and good governance”.

Asked whether the Church has the power to interfere in matters relating to sale of property, the Curia said it does not.

Following the Reform in the Administration of Property of the Maltese Province in 1972, a Diocesan Representative Council was established in each diocese, in which one of the members represents the Male Religious Institutes. It establishes policies for the alienation of property which should be followed by all Ecclesiastical Bodies.

Despite the fact that 85 per cent of Qala residents had voted against the project in 2002, the 2006 Local Plan earmarked the Hondoq Bay area for a mega-tourism development, which resurfaced in 2007, four years after it had been shelved following vociferous protests from local residents.

On Wednesday, the Church’s inter-diocesan commission on the environment said in a statement that it had concluded that the proposed Hondoq ir-Rummien development in Gozo is not sustainable.

The commission said it is difficult to justify the claim that it represents more wealth and a better quality of life in Gozo over a long period.

The project, the commission said, would not protect the identity of the countryside and its beauty, which should be the principal assets for attracting tourists to Gozo.

It added that the proposed Hondoq development shows a crass social insensitivity, with the developer choosing to ignore the fact that the majority of Qala residents, who will be directly affected by the project, are against the development.