Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1109092
25.04.19 12 OPINION George Mangion George M. Mangion is a senior partner of PKF Malta, an audit and consultancy firm | gmm@pkfmalta.com D uring a business trip to Singapore, I was fascinated by its success in many sectors notwithstanding the fact that it possesses no mineral wealth. Singapore is roughly twice the size of Malta but houses over fi ve million cit- izens in a densely-populated area. It comes as no surprise that over the past decades Singapore has invested heavily in land reclamation, including a massive freeport and an international airport. Malta is contemplating using the mas- sive tonnage of debris generated from the Gozo tunnel to a practical use. e controversial topic has recently hit the deadlines after parliament unanimously approved (except for the two PD MPs) to go ahead with the tunnel project. As can be expected, the subject is high- ly contested by environmentalists and NGOs who argue against land reclama- tion because it will upset the ecological, scientifi c and archaeological habitat. It follows that due to Malta's size, its growing population density and unique island biodiversity any political an- nouncement to encourage land reclama- tion are welcomed by property magnates. Others claim capital for such a mam- moth project should be diverted to solve the dire problem of lack of social housing. is bone of contention is counter bal- anced by the suggestion towards re-use of abandoned dwellings to accommodate social housing for the elderly and po- tential redevelopment of some of these dwellings which are old and unfi t for habitation. Of course, this is already done by the Housing Authority that is inviting developers to come forward and enter a joint venture to fi nance the development costs to rehabilitate derelict houses. is is a noble cause but in the mean- time, there is nothing to stop us from utilising the resource of abundant debris resulting from either tunnelling or build- ing a metro. It is no exaggeration to say that Malta as an island with relatively soft rock has suff ered continuous erosion by mother nature over the millennia. Being contrite, we must admit that with a third of the island covered with concrete we can enjoy more elbow room for ample spatial living. e Planning Authority commissioned independent consultants to carry out two major studies on land reclamation. One dates back to 2005 that explored the idea of disposing construction waste at sea, and another completed in 2007 exploring the feasibility of land reclamation at two specifi c areas. It remains a mystery why the PA had in the past discouraged the environmental and economic feasibility of land reclama- tion within our coastal zone. To quote an ideal site, we can mention the coastline near Qalet Marku. Here, one assumes that building debris from both the City Centre (DB) project and the Gozo tunnel can be deployed to form a cluster of islands. Unoffi cially, we heard that ERA main- tains that the coastline at Xagħjra is a pre- ferred site since at Qalet Marku there are more environmental objections. Natural- ly, the construction lobby is very much in favour of sustainable work linked to large scale land reclamation work, which on its own can secure jobs. e Prime Minister is encouraging the private sector to come forward with ideas and this is welcome. Any large-scale rec- lamation will inevitably stimulate the re- generation of key areas but designs have to be sensitive to aesthetic value and his- torical signifi cance. Ideally, the area coincides with function- al considerations of a busy tourist centre. Perhaps that is why the Xagħjra coast- line was chosen. is means linking it to Smart City with a modern promenade, supporting multifarious commercial, cultural and recreation activities, albeit residents are vociferous in their protests against such a plan. But we must refl ect on how Malta cre- ated a thriving cruise liner industry in Valletta and the Cottonera jetties - both construed on reclaimed land. In an ideal world, environmentalists need to tone down their opposition and carefully weigh the advantages of better paid jobs benefi tting from a heavy invest- ment to reclaim land from the sea. Cer- tainly, land reclamation is not new to the Maltese islands and here I can mention with pride the success of Marsa Sports Grounds built entirely on reclaimed land, the sea originally reaching inland as far as Qormi since ancient times. Turning to Msida, one can point to an- other prime example of a major land rec- lamation project while not forgetting the massive Freeport terminals in Birżebbuġa and the platform on which the Delimara power station stands. Moving on to the advantages of recla- mation, one remembers with nostalgia how reclamation changed the logistics at Msida. Originally when the parish church was built it was facing the sea. Really and truly, there will always be a price to pay when inert waste, usually from construc- tion and demolition sources, is used for land reclamation. e hardest hit, from a purely environmental standpoint, is obvi- ously the seabed, which not only loses its integrity in terms of physical characteris- tics but any biodiversity thriving on a par- ticular site can be wiped out altogether. e obvious collateral damage to the Posidonia meadows (seagrass) that lie over large tracts of seabed at various depths around the coastline merits seri- ous consideration as the ecological signif- icance of such meadows is well known in terms of stabilising the seabed and serv- ing as nurture grounds for an immense variety of fi sh species and other marine organisms. Also, any excessive dumping of inert waste at sea to build retaining walls for land extensions is aesthetically unpleasing as it disturbs the water col- umn by contributing to turbidity. Ecologists warn us that such dumping takes ages to eventually settle down as sediment on the seafl oor and it lowers the photosynthetic capabilities of aquat- ic species in that particular site to the detriment of the marine ecosystem as a whole. Another concern is the toxic ele- ment inherent in unsorted waste such as heavy metals, burnt oil or other chemical species that could be absorbed by the ma- rine ecosystem and in the process, go to contaminate food chains. e implications in terms of the result- ant particulate matter levels in ambient air, for example, white and black dusts as a result of heavy machinery to move ma- terial is not to be under estimated. Now that the government is waiting for completion of scientifi c studies before is- suing tenders for the Gozo tunnel project there is some speculation where the mil- lions be sourced. e tunnel is certainly a controversial topic that has long grasped the imagi- nation of politicians and will eventually challenge structural engineers to design a commercially sustainable link. If we optimise the resource out of future devel- opment projects and use them wisely as land extensions, then that will be the day when Malta may rise as a Phoenix out of the water and share the success of a novel Singapore in the Med. Land reclamation could make Malta a Singapore in the Med.