Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1380662
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JUNE 2021 NEWS Delivery fee of just €1 per day for orders up to 5 newspapers per address To subscribe 1. Email us your choice of newspapers, recipient's name, address, contact number to production @millermalta.com 2. Forward cheques payable to Miller Distributors Ltd on address: Miller House, Airport Way, Tarxien Road, Luqa LQA1814 Queries on other news- papers and magazines, production@ millermalta.com maltatoday Same-day delivery of your favourite Sunday newspaper Monday-Friday MaltaToday Midweek • €1 BusinessToday • €1.50 Sunday MaltaToday • €1.95 ILLUM • €1.25 Support your favourite newspaper with a subscription https://bit.ly/2X9csmr Gozitan MPs opposed to development at Hondoq JAMES DEBONO ALL Labour MPs have declared they are committed against any "development" at the pristine Ħondoq ir-Rummien valley area. But they would not commit to changing local plans to preclude any future attempt at introduc- ing tourism development in the area. Questions were sent individual- ly to all six Gozitans MPs – three of them Labour ministers – as to whether they agree with a partial review of the Gozo local plan to remove any loopholes for tour- ism and marina development in the area, and whether they agree that Ħondoq, including the dis- used quarry site, should be de- clared as a 'public domain' site. On their part, Nationalist Par- ty MPs – whose party when in government had underhandedly included tourism development at Ħondoq in the 2006 local plan, approved without public consul- tation – are now committed to buy back the area from its own- ers and turn it in to a national park. It would mean that without changes to local plans, the gov- ernment would buy back the land at an inflated price, based on its current zoning in the local plan. Instead of replying individual- ly, both the Labour and PN MPs replied through their respective party spokespersons. In their two sets of replies, the two parties were not willing to undertake any commitment which would enshrine Ħondoq's ODZ status (outside develop- ment zones) for posterity. Partial reviews of Malta's local plans are regularly conducted to change development parameters and zoning for different sites in Malta and Gozo. The Public Domain Act gives power to the government to de- clare particular sites as being part of the public domain. Ħon- doq was proposed as a "public domain site" by environmental NGOs in 2017, but this proposal was not accepted by government. Such status, although vague, adds an extra level of protection obliging the government to pre- serve it for future generations. Qala's Labour mayor Paul Butt- igieg, who has fought tooth and nail against any proposed devel- opment at the bay for almost 20 years, has insisted that he can only put his mind at rest on Ħon- doq if it is irrevocably placed out- side the development zones. Earlier this week when asked di- rectly by MaltaToday, the Prime Minister warned that the gov- ernment could end up having to compensate owners if local plans are changed – echoing similar claims by Environment Minis- ter Aaron Farrugia in TV pro- gramme Xtra last month. Far- rugia has yet to divulge the legal advice leading to this declaration despite being asked to do so by MaltaToday. Legal experts have told Mal- taToday that no such right for compensation exists under Euro- pean law, citing case law in which guarantees for property rights cannot be extended to protect mere commercial interests, and which recognise that rights of ownership are always "subject to limitations laid down in accord- ance with the public interest." MPs: some commitment In their collective response, the Labour MPs reiterated their "stance against development in the Ħondoq ir-Rummien site", consistent with the party's elec- toral manifesto and their lo- cal elections manifesto of 2019 "where the party renewed its commitment to protect the natu- ral environment in Qala particu- larly that of Ħondoq". Ignoring MaltaToday's ques- tions on the designation of Ħon- doq as a public domain site and on whether a partial review of the local plans should be conducted, the party turned the tables on the Nationalist Party, reminding the public that it was their decision in 2006 to introduced the con- cept of tourism development at Ħondoq. The Labour MPs also ques- tioned the commitment made by the PN to buy back the land to turn it into a national park. "Political responsibility demands that such promises like that made by the Opposition leader should be studied if there are no other ulterior motives behind them." PN MPs also evaded questions on whether the planning status of Ħondoq should change while reiterating the party's commit- ment to reclaim back Ħondoq from its private owners. "A PN government will acquire the land area in question from the private owners in order to rehabilitate and develop it in to a national park with various amenities ac- cessible to the general public." • But all MPs refuse to commit to changes to local plan to permanently rule out such development in the future • PN which in 2006 had changed goalposts to permit tourism development at Ħondoq, now commits itself to buy back the land and turn Ħondoq in to a national park Qala's Labour mayor Paul Buttigieg, who has fought tooth and nail against any proposed development at the bay for almost 20 years, has insisted that he can only put his mind at rest on Ħondoq if it is irrevocably placed outside the development zones