“There is a need for Gozo to really be given the attention it deserves as a unique island in the Mediterranean and it should never be allowed to become a copy of what is happening in Malta, especially where the rampant development is concerned,” said ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci

ADPD was putting forward its proposals for Gozo ahead of this weekend’s European Parliament and Local Council elections. ”The ADPD has always had Gozo and the Gozitan people at heart and believes that this island can even be the first ecological island,” Sandra Gauci said.

Ms Gauci was addressing a news conference in Mgarr, Gozo. She insisted that the existing services of the route between the two islands should be substantially improved, where even the fast ferry should be strengthened and not just operate solely from the Grand Harbour.

The ADPD Chairperson went on to say that a study should be carried out on the traffic system in the heart of Gozo – Victoria – so that it is no longer choked with cars as it is in most of the day, by having more pedestrian areas and systems that encourage to visit this location with alternative means of transport.

She argued that “this should take away the need for widening roads unnecessarily as is currently being done, so that perhaps the mistakes made in Malta will not be repeated in Gozo.”

The ADPD said that it fully agrees and supports any initiative so that the plan proposed by the groups of organisations under the umbrella of Ghal Ghawdex can be carried out. ”This plan aims to protect the fabric of Gozitan society as well as the environment both urban and rural, while promoting sustainable development and prosperity for the island in the long term,” ADPD said.

Sandra Gauci highlighted a need for the development of a regional plan and a policy that ”really sees that the island is safeguarded as an island of villages – we need to move from words to facts. Until this happens there is a need for a moratorium on new development applications and those on ODZ land should not be considered.”

Fiscal measures and incentives should be used to safeguard existing properties in Urban Conservation Areas (UCA) and the restoration and reuse of old properties should be encouraged, Ms Gauci said. ”There should be a clear policy that is enforced regarding the material used and the architectural design of new buildings that does not clash with the existing ones.”

She stressed that there should be well-respected areas around historic buildings so as not to detract from the importance and value of sites such as we find in Ggantija. Ms Gauci also added that ”there should be an enforcement of the regulations so that we don’t continue to see abuse like, say, is being done in Xlendi – if the existing regulations were enforced as they should be, they would already be much better.”

Photo: ADPD

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