ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that, the Gozo tunnel and airport is in the news again, “similar to Labour and to GonziPN, Bernard Grech, not happy with ‘only’ a polluting, destructive tunnel. he also promised an airport in Gozo.”

In a statement he said, “the Nationalist Party – in its common quest with the Labour Party to be ‘everything to everyone’ and to continue the destruction of the little that is left of Gozo and Malta have once again promised to continue Minister Ian Borg’s and Prime Minister’s Robert Abela white elephant Gozo tunnel project.”

Cacopardo argued that “it is never enough for PLPN, despite fast ferry services – which can be improved such as providing connections to other landing sites in Malta – they want a tunnel and airport on a tiny island. Get real -This is nuts.”

“Let’s us all accept that we live in a small, overdeveloped country with limited space and short distances – yes, even between Malta and Gozo,” he said.

Carmel Cacopardo insisted that “Bernard Grech and Robert Abela will deliver more traffic, more pollution, a useless airport in Gozo for the rich, and more environmental destruction and the deterioration of our quality of life.”

The party’s candidate on the 12th and 13th Districts, Luke Caruana said, “it is by now clear that the proposed tunnel entrances will be, most probably, below the Kenuna Tower in Nadur and in the Gherien area between Mellieha and St. Paul’s Bay, on the outskirts of Manikata.”

He pointed out that,“both areas are of ecological importance to Malta and Gozo and situated in our prime rural areas.”

“On the Malta end, the tunnel entrance will have disastrous impacts since the area is home to that part of the water table which is least polluted on the islands. In fact, not so long ago, plans for a golf course in the area were discarded for a multitude of reasons,” he said.

Ta’ Kenuna in Nadur is primarily an agricultural zone with an ecology which requires protection,” he said.

“Apart from the environmental destruction, there are other consequences that will be brought about. Air quality will deteriorate due to a substantial increase in vehicle emissions. In addition noise and light pollution will be introduced to these practically pristine areas.”

He went on to say that “it would be also wrong to assume that a project of such a massive scale will not bring about adverse consequences to the surrounding areas. It will lead to wider roads to sustain the new traffic flow, more car-service stations will be considered ‘necessary’ and so on.”

Caruana also asked, “what do the local councils in the nearby localities have to say about this, as the quality of life for people residing in these two localities will be severely impaired?”

“A useless airport is also an ecologically disastrous because, not only will it be developed on agricultural land, but it will have negative impacts in terms of noise, pollution and ancillary development such as parking spaces and roads,” stated Caruana.

“Perhaps the airstrip lobby can explain who will foot the bill to fund such a development if not through massive state subsidies. The airstrip lobby can also perhaps explain the cost of tickets to use such transport,” he said.

Caruana said, “I honestly cannot see what the community will gain from such a development. A multitude of small islands in Europe with niche activities and their particular touristic attractions, do not have their own airport or indeed tunnel and still manage to thrive

“Gozo needs an economic plan based on SMEs in various sectors, and niche activities which generate wellbeing without the destruction of people’s quality of life.”

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