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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS ANALYSIS IN December 2018, the Envi- ronment and Resources Au- thority justified studies on land reclamation as a way of setting clear "environmental red lines" in an initial stages of the process. But three months down the line, Environment Minister Josè Herrera has taken the role of chief promoter of land reclama- tion, arguing that it is the long- term solution to the construc- tion waste problem and a way of putting this resource to use in- stead of dumping it in quarries or spoil grounds. But here are four questions, which the minister has so far avoided. Can land reclamation be economically feasible without real estate, which would see new gated communities with their backs turned on local communities deprived of open sea views? There may well be an argument for reusing construction waste in land reclamation projects, serv- ing a public purpose like relo- cating environmentally-taxing infrastructure – like recycling plants, which weigh on local communities – or to create space for solar panels; or even as a way of creating new open spaces and woodland on reclaimed land. This will still come at a cost es- pecially if protected undersea habitats are also impacted upon by reclamation works. But at least in such cases the impact will be offset by public gains. Yet, if land reclamation is driv- en by the private sector it will also expect to recover the con- siderable costs involved in the shortest time possible. A 2007 study commissioned by the Planning Authority undertaken by British experts Scott Wilson and environmental consultants ADI, had put the cost of a rec- lamation project on different land formations in Xghajra and Bahar ic-Caghaq at between €42 million for small scale coastal works at Bahar ic-Caghaq, to €546 million for an artificial is- land in Xghajra. This led the authors of the report to conclude that other measures should be considered "to reduce the size of the con- struction waste stream, before embarking on such as high-cost project." The cost of reclamation in the northern part of the Xghajra coast was set at between €250 and €439 million. The cost of using construction waste for land reclamation ranges from €15 to €40 per cubic metre, compared to just €3 to throw it back into quarries. The same re- port concludes that the only way to render such development economically feasible would be "economic development" simi- lar to the Smart City project. A preliminary report drafted by the ERA identifies large-scale reclamation between Xghajra and Portomoso for "an invest- ment for commercial and indus- trial/urban purposes", as well as for the "creation of natural habitats." The risk of such de- velopment would be that of fur- ther increasing the economic dependence on the construction industry, possibly even flooding the property market with new upmarket sea-view properties. During last week's edition of Xtra, Sandro Chetcuti has al- ready hinted that artificial reefs could be developed for "touristic purposes". The risk is that any open or "natural" spaces cre- ated on these islands will simply serve as embellishment for gated communities for the global rich, which turn their backs on local communities robbing them of views of the horizon. Will the State foot the bill for large-scale land reclamation projects? And will this result in another case of socialised risk for private gain? The cost of land reclamation includes both edge-protection works, and the costs of contain- ing waste in bunds. Without containment, placed material would be subject to rapid ero- sion and dispersion across large areas, which would be environ- mentally acceptable. Where reclamation forma- tions require the construction of bunds in relatively deeper water, or require a large length of bund (for example in the case of an island) then the costs increase significantly, particularly in the early stages of the project. According to the 2007 study, edge-protection costs range for land reclamation in Xghajra cost between €164 and €273 million. The creation of artificial island was deemed to be even more expensive. This raises the ques- tion: who will foot the bill? The Scott Wilson report suggested that due to the "rather marginal returns with risks associated to lack of security of material sup- ply", the government would have to step in to fork out the initial cost. The availability of a large amount of construction waste from the proposed Gozo tunnel may reduce uncertainty on the supply of material, but the ex- pense will still remain prohibi- tive for private investors seeking a fast return on their invest- ment. This may in turn increase pressure to build more real es- tate on reclaimed land. Can we have land reclamation without sacrificing more of our coastlines and ruining coastal views? The coastline is not just eco- logically important but it also an integral part of the collective memory of the Maltese, intrin- sically linked to the island's his- tory and identity. The Landscape Convention of which Malta is a signatory, is meant to protect these cultural landscapes. The least visually intrusive of the proposals in- cluded in a preliminary study by ERA consists of an artificial island set on the spoil ground where construction waste has been dumped for the past dec- ades. But this area only has a po- tential for small-scale land recla- mation according to the report, and would come at considerable expense. The only area identified for large scale reclamation in the ERA preliminary reports is an area of seabed stretching all the way from Portomoso in St Julian's to Xghajra including waters off Sliema, Valletta and Cottonera. Just imagine walking down promenades in these lo- calities and seeing land instead of the horizon. The ERA study also identifies a number of other sites for me- dium and small-scale land recla- mation which include the Mgarr harbour in Gozo which has been in the past identified for a cruise liner terminal, Qalet Marku in Bahar ic-Caghaq, St Paul's Bay, Marsaxlokk and an area off Xghajra already utilized for the dumping of construction waste. Although Qalet Marku in Ba- har ic-Caghaq has not been iden- tified for large-scale land recla- mation, it still has "potential for breakwaters, marinas and touris- tic development". This suggests that land reclamation will inevi- tably impact on coastal views in an island where the sea has been traditionally associated with open views and a natural limit to the development frenzy. Will the prospect of land recla- mation encourage the produc- tion of even more construction waste? The possibility of reusing waste, consisting of limestone building blocks or excavated limestone material into a suitable building material, has been the subject of a number of studies. One of the processes which has already been patented en- visions the collection building blocks or excavated waste and its processing into a powder. The powder is then converted into a workable paste, which can be moulded. The resulting reconstituted stone material is a hard, dense limestone material, which can be cut, shaped and finished in a similar manner to natural limestone. But faced with PN proposals on this matter, Josè Herrera has questioned the economic feasi- bility of this option: "I've talked with many investors about the issue. Not all material is viable here because the resulting stone can be, in some cases, more expensive than normal stone," Herrera said. But one of the risks of land reclamation is that it could dis- courage the re-use of this waste in housing projects, while creat- ing a new demand for a process whose financial viability may depend on the construction of more real estate. Rather than discouraging more buildings land reclamation may well have an opposite effect. Moreover it may also encour- age the authorities to approve more large-scale projects to se- cure a reliable supply of material for both large-scale reclamation projects and smaller projects along the coast. Land reclamation Gated communities with their backs turned on our horizon Malta's environment minister is probably in favour of a very expensive project for land reclamation. But four questions remain unanswered, JAMES DEBONO says The availability of a large amount of construction waste from the proposed Gozo tunnel may reduce uncertainty on the supply of material for land reclamation projects