The first meeting of the Taskforce on the future of the Port of Mgarr, Gozo, was held today. It was explained that the main objective of the Taskforce is to develop a “strategic plan for the maximum and sustainable use of the Port and possible expansion of the facilities, so that it continues to serve as an efficient, resilient and sustainable multimodal transport and logistics hub.”

Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri, together with the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works Chris Bonett said that this process will be carried out through responsible and transparent decision-making, with the active involvement of the Gozitan community and all stakeholders.

They said that given the strategic importance of the Port of Mgarr, the fact that it is the only access point to Gozo, and its direct impact on Gozitan society and economy, a Taskforce was established.

This Taskforce will assess the current state of the port and put forward recommendations for sustainable operations, long-term resilience and possible strategic solutions for both the Port of Mgarr and the island of Gozo, so that they can better cope with the increase in economic and tourist activity for the coming years.

Minister Camilleri stated that over the last ten years, the unprecedented economic growth in Gozo, together with the consistent increase in domestic and inbound tourism, has led to a significant increase in activity at the Port of Mgarr.

He went on to explain that, “everyone is witnessing the record numbers of visitors that Gozo is experiencing. This port has become one of the busiest maritime ports in Europe in terms of number of ships and volume of passengers. This increase in activity is placing increasing pressure on the port and on the related infrastructure, in particular on Triq ix-Xatt, which is currently the only road connecting the port to the rest of the island. That is why, as we promised, we have created this Taskforce so that this Government continues to consult, make the best decisions and ultimately implement a plan for the future.”

The Minister added that Mgarr Harbour connects Gozo to Malta and serves as a multimodal transport and logistics hub. It is essential uninterrupted connectivity, 24 hours a day, between the Maltese islands through various operators, including Gozo Channel Operations Ltd and Gozo Highspeed. This connectivity is crucial for the daily travel of residents and visitors, as well as for economic activity, tourism, freight transport and emergency operations.

Minister Chris Bonett said that in a short time connections to Gozo will be doubling as, in addition to Cirkewwa and Valletta, Bugibba and Sliema will be added through a new fast ferry route. He said that the long-term plan for connectivity in Gozo that the Government announced earlier this month must be complemented by another plan to improve infrastructure in Gozo.

“With an increasingly strong economy that has seen considerable growth over recent years, we are drawing up a plan to have an infrastructure that can withstand this development and that offers the best connectivity between the two islands, for both Gozitans and Maltese,” concluded Minister Bonett.

The Taskforce will, among other things, carry out an assessment of the impact of the port on Gozo’s society and economy, explore alternative road connections between the Port of Mgarr and the island’s arterial network, and analyse the socio-economic and environmental impacts of these options. It will also develop practical recommendations for the sustainable operation and long-term resilience of the port and related infrastructure, while exploring strategic solutions to enable Gozo to better address growing demand.

The Taskforce will be chaired by the Gozo Regional Development Authority (GRDA) and will include representatives from the Gozo Business Chamber, the Gozo Tourism Association, Transport Malta (Ports and Yachting Directorate and Land Transport Directorate), Infrastructure Malta, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), Gozo Channel (Operations) Ltd, the Planning Authority, as well as the Ghajnsielem Local Council.

File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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