No new Ħondoq plans without new EIA – Qala NGO | TMI

Published on www.andrewazzopardi.org on Sunday 21st April, 2013 by Andrew Azzopardi. 

During Ghandi x’ Nghid:

Earlier in the programme, which focused on development, the topic of discussion turned to proposals to develop the Ħondoq ir-Rummien bay in Qala.

On 2 May, Mepa’s appeals tribunal is to decide whether to accept fresh plans by developers Gozo Prestige – the authority had refused to do so in 2011 – and the Moviment Ħarsien ĦondoqNGO is insisting that this decision should be confirmed.

Gozo Prestige’s original plans included a yacht marina, a 5-star hotel and over 200 apartments. Their new plans do away with the marina – they have proposed to build a swimming lagoon instead – and reduce the number of apartments.

MĦĦ secretary Paul Buttigieg, a Qala councillor, reiterated the NGO’s objection to the project – he said that while the organisation was not opposed to sustainable development in Gozo, the project was anything but.

As for the appeals tribunal’s decision, Mr Buttigieg was adamant that no new plans should be accepted without an Environmental Impact Assessment, since they effectively meant that the project was now completely different.

Asked to comment on the project, Malta Developers Association president Michael Falzon said that the association, as a policy, did not speak in favour of or against proposed projects.

But when he was pressed to state his personal opinion, Mr Falzon remarked that he was “quite against” the project.

However, he also pointed out that the abandoned seawater distillation plant on site, which has long been in disuse, should be reutilised, wondering whether the Maltese would be able to do so without embarking on a massive project.

To view the original article, go to http://andrewazzopardi.org/2013/04/21/no-new-hondoq-plans-without-new-eia-qala-ngo-tmi/