Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1470053
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JUNE 2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A draft report based on €11 million study of the seabed leaked to MaltaToday in De- cember 2019, had identified a vast stretch of sea area between Portomaso and Xgħajra as ide- al for large-scale land reclama- tion projects. Several other sites, such as Qalet Marku in Baħar iċ- Ċagħaq and the Freeport, were also seen as ideal for medium and small-scale projects. Other sites identified in this report included the Mġarr har- bour in Gozo, St Paul's Bay, Marsaxlokk and a spoil ground off Xgħajra already utilised for the dumping of construction waste. The latest ERA annual report also refers to an exten- sive benthic survey to gather information about the state of this spoil ground. The ERA had insisted that the map identifying the sites was only indicative of which sites posed the least environ- mental problems. For example, although the whole arch be- tween Portomaso and Xgħajra was identified, this site also includes the Grand Harbour where cultural heritage con- siderations excludes such de- velopments. The major consideration in the ERA report seen by Malt- aToday was "the avoidance" of protected habitats, especially areas which include the pri- ority habitat Posidonia beds, which are protected under EU law due to their crucial impor- tance as the lungs of the Medi- terranean sea. But such habitats are also found in the area off Portoma- so, which formed part of the preferred site, and at Baħar iċ- Ċagħaq, which was identified for small and medium scale projects. Although back in 2019 for- mer environment minister Jose Herrera had announced an imminent decision by gov- ernment on "five or six sites", a year later the ERA told Malt- aToday "an analysis" of poten- tial sites was still underway. But now the ERA has con- firmed that the ball is in the government's court as its draft study is now subject to a cross government consultation. MaltaToday is informed that while a decision is imminent, it remains unclear whether the green light for land recla- mation will be limited to re- newable energy projects, green spaces and public infrastruc- ture or whether this will also allow tourism and real estate development. One major consideration is the financial aspect. A previous report under the Gonzi admin- istration which first toyed with the idea in 2006, had conclud- ed that large-scale land recla- mation would only be econom- ically feasible if real estate is allowed. And significantly the deci- sion on land reclamation is no longer being tied to finding a use for construction waste but is being increasingly tied to economic development, in a context where ODZ devel- opment on land is increasingly shunned. Speaking to parliament in May, new infrastructure min- ister Aaron Farrugia said that Malta would start reclaiming land within this legislature, arguing that such a move is crucial if the economy is to keep on growing. "Land recla- mation will no longer remain a sentence that we see in every electoral manifesto but is never implemented," Farrugia said. "Under this legislature, we will have the opportunity for land reclamation to become a reali- ty. Malta needs it, the economy needs it and the government will therefore aim in this direc- tion." Labour's manifesto includes a blanket commitment for land reclamation projects, which is deemed to be "necessary" in a small island with limited land. But while the manifesto re- fers to projects which bene- fit the country like renewable energy projects, it falls short of excluding real estate on re- claimed land, which can be very lucrative in coastal areas. The government has also identified an offshore belt be- tween 12 and 25 nautical miles as an Exclusive Economic Zone where it intends issuing con- cessions to private companies for the production of renew- able energy, the production and storage of hydrogen, fish farms and even the establish- ment of "artificial islands". The belt includes 900sq.km zone of shallow waters around Hurd's Bank. Decision on land reclamation a major test for new government's environmental credentials The coast of Xghajra has been identified as a viable location for a "major" land reclamation project