5 comments so far.Gozo Rural Airfield project needs full social impact assessment – MSA
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The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) said that it has submitted its official feedback to the Gozo Regional Development Authority regarding the Gozo Rural Airfield proposal.
MSA noted that in one of the sections ‘Potential Impacts and Benefits of the Proposed Intervention,’ the document states that as regards ‘socio-economic impacts,’ “To assess the expected socio-economic impacts and benefits of the proposed Airfield project, the Ministry for Gozo (proponent of the project) commissioned a Cost Benefits Analysis study.”
The findings of this study are then presented in two tables and six short paragraphs,on page 10 and 11 of the report.
MSA holds that whilst a cost-benefits analysis study is a useful tool, provided it uses proper research methods and is peer-reviewed, in no way can this exercise be considered to provide an adequate social impact assessment.
MSA said that it is therefore proposing that a social impact assessment (SIA) be commissioned on the development proposal. The SIA should be carried out by qualified sociologists through an open public call.
It explained that “various methods, both quantitative and qualitative, should be used within the SIA, to provide reliable and valid data. It should involve the participation of different stakeholders. Analytic indicators should be provided and the entire process should be subject to peer review by independent experts in the field. This could help identify shortcomings and possible improvements to the same SIA.”
It stressed that “the SIA should not be a one-off exercise. It should be ongoing processes which engage with various stakeholders, and which reports back so as to ensure effective policy processes.”
MSA refers to international SIA standards, for example those set by the International Association for Impact Assessment:
The MSA concluded by saying that it is “at the disposal of the Gozo Regional Development Authority should it wish to discuss further.”
The impact statement is available here.
For more information on the Gozo Rural Airfield Project please see here and how to make written contributions to the consultation, which are are to be submitted to the Gozo Regional Development Authority on: consultations.grda@grda.mt
The consultation process closes this Friday, the 27th of May.
Please read the article that just came out about this two days ago that said, there will be 69,783 passenger trips a year and 191 passengers per day and it will cost 25-35 EU. This will be the total destroyer of Gozo. Read the article. It is called Gozo Malta Airplane Ticket Set To Cost 25-35 EU
Using the figures you quote, that would equate to about 10 or 12 round trip flights a day, perhaps 1 an hour! Hardly going to destroy Gozo, it also would probably save a number of car transfers which do as much if not more damage.
Read what I wrote carefully before you comment. I said I read the figure in the article I read. I also wrote the name of the article that had those figures. Nothing I wrote was made up. It came from the article.That article was in more than one Malta news sites. The article came out last week.
I did not say your figures, which you quoted from the article were incorrect, I simply calculated the daily figure from those. 10 to 12 flights of a light aircraft each day will not destroy the Island, and saves 50 or so vehicles that will not need to drive here.
Many people are saying they cannot get a seat on the bus and they have to stand. This airport will cause more overpopulated in Gozo, more noise, more cigarette smoke. If the Gozo people want Gozo to be the same as Malta, do it because that is what you will have. No more Gozo but two Malta’s. Malta sold their island and Gozo is doing the same because they showed money is more important to them than their island which they sold off.