Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/992522
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 JUNE 2018 JAMES DEBONO REPLACING the existing coast- al road at Ghadira with an el- evated three-lane dual carriage- way would increase noise and light pollution which are already taking their toll on the Ghadira nature reserve, Birdlife's conser- vation manager Nicholas Bar- bara has told MaltaToday. The proposal to erect an el- evated road is being made by Projects Malta, an entity fall- ing under Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, as part of a plan to extend the Ghadira beach by 38,000sq.m. Although the extension of the sandy beach can be carried out in the absence of the new road, preliminary studies pre- sented by government consult- ants EMPD, claim that the sand dunes at Ghadira Bay will be unable to recreate themselves, unless the existing road is re- placed. According to the Project De- velopment Statement the envi- ronmental impact of building the new bridge in the vicinity of a nature reserve will only be con- ducted after the approval of the first phase of the project which would see sand mechanically dredged from the submerged part of the beach. In this scenario wave deflectors and the new road would ensure that the beach is protected dur- ing the winter months and re- duce the risk of beach erosion. The idea of an elevated road on stilts was already considered as one of the alternatives for the EU funded TEN-T network for the main thoroughfares linking the rest of Malta to Gozo. Other alternatives which were discarded included passing the road or an underground tunnel behind the reserve and cutting through Foresta 2000 area. "Back then, the EIA studies, all pointed to a considerable impact on the Ghadira Nature Reserve, particularly from noise and light generated from the road," Bird- life conservation manager Nich- olas Barbara told MaltaToday. At the end of the process, this part of the TEN-T network was left untouched, possibly because all the options considered had an insurmountable environmental impact. Environmentalists had ob- jected to the proposal pushed by then Transport Minister Austin Gatt. The idea of pass- ing the road behind the nature reserve was supported by Silvio Debono who owns the Seabank hotel which had been approved on ODZ land in 2009. Barbara also pointed out that the reserve is already subjected to a considerable amount of noise and light from nearby hu- man activities, which already have an impact on the birds breeding in this area. "Increasing visitors and hav- ing traffic passing at an elevated height will definitely augment such an impact further". Despite the proximity of the proposed road to the nature re- serve, Birdlife has yet not been consulted on this issue. The Environment and Re- sources Authority still has to decide on whether a full Envi- ronment Impact Assessment is required for the entire project but is demanding an 'appropri- ate assessment' on the project's impact on the surrounding pro- tected area. Birdlife is also concerned with the overall impact of increasing visitors to Ghadira. While recognising the fact that "a good chunk of the beach has been eroded away", Birdlife said the driver behind this project is to accommodate more visitors at the bay. "At the end of the day this area is a Natura 2000 site, so increasing visitors any further may not be that sustainable," Barbara said. The current studies commis- sioned by the government have been conducted by architect, Stephen Vancell, on behalf of EMDP, a company owned by the PA's planning commission's board member Mariello Spiteri. ERA is presently assessing the studies presented by the EMDP, which were commissioned by Projects Malta. NEWS NEW PYROTECHNICS FUND Finanacial support to enhance safety features of fireworks factories working on voluntary basis. "We are committed to strengthen such a fundamental characteristic which is treasured by many in the culture sector, by first and foremost ensuring that the manufacturing and letting off of fireworks is done in a safe environment. Behind the spectacular and artistic displays that light up our skies, a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes. We want to better recognise and safeguard this work." OWEN BONNICI Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government @ArtiUKultura MINISTRY FOR JUSTICE CULTURE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT BirdLife fears Ghadira road project could impact nature reserve BirdLife's Nick Barbara said the reserve is already subjected to a considerable amount of noise and light from nearby human activities, which already have an impact on the birds breeding in this area