The island of villages is under threat

Regional development policy seeks to improve the well-being of regions. Within the European Union it is commonly referred to as the cohesion policy. Through regional policy one seeks to eliminate disparities between regions: it encourages, assists, and finances initiatives to bring this about.

A draft Gozo Regional Development Strategy was published for public consultation very recently. It identifies the basic characteristics of Gozo and seeks to present a blueprint for the future of the island.

The draft strategy makes interesting reading. It contrasts with, and, at times, it is even in conflict with current policy and practice. There is nothing wrong with this, as it denotes a willingness for change from within. Whether this will eventually translate into concrete action is still to be seen. It is however a positive first step and must be recognised as such.

The basic philosophy of the strategy is encapsulated in the term “an island of villages”, used to describe Gozo.  The smallness of the village is used in contrast to the relatively larger urban areas. The term conveys a sense of calmness resulting from being one with nature, which is easily accessible in the village. Fields surrounding the villages link them directly to nature, radiating vitality. Most importantly, nature is respected in the village. It provides us with food and basic ecological services. It is our constant partner which, if we handle with care, will never let us down.

The smallness of the village is beautiful, economist Ernst Schumacher would have emphasised. Schumacher’s work grew out of his study of village-based economics. The full title of his work is: “Small is beautiful. A study of economics as if people mattered.” Economics is not just about numbers and so-called growth. At the end of the day, it is about people. Unfortunately, people are not always taken into consideration when policies are formulated.

The “island of villages” has been under siege for quite some time. It is a victim of overdevelopment. The 2021 Census report on residential property, just published, quantifies the extent of the problem: 45 per cent of residential property in Gozo is either vacant or under-used, in view of its use for seasonal or secondary accommodation. This statistic for the Gozo Region stands out in contrast to that for other regions. At a national level 27.5 per cent of residential property is vacant or under-utilised. The numbers for the Western region, at 22.1 per cent, are practically half the Gozo statistic.

This identifies a major threat to the “island of villages”. Why build so much if the resulting development remains vacant or else is hardly used. Can we, as a country, afford to keep churning out flats which remain vacant or unutilised for a long time and destroy our agricultural land in the process? This does not contribute to a positive quality of life. The island of villages is slowly being transformed into a ghost island.

The draft strategy apparently wants to end all this and dwells at length on the need to nurture a sustainable urban environment. Speaking on a point of principle, the authors of the strategy are right. It is however essential that they move on from words to concrete targets and action.

The point of departure for this strategy of “the island of villages” is that 45 per cent of its built-up area is vacant. At Marsalforn the relative percentage is even higher: a staggering 66.8 per cent of residential units were vacant on Census Day! This is not justifiable, not even on the grounds that Marsalforn is a seaside resort.

This has not happened overnight. It has developed one block at a time. It has accelerated with the decisions taken to extend the development zone in 2006 through the rationalisation exercise. Then, as a result, one million square metres of ODZ land became suitable for development. The practical results are here for all to see. It keeps getting worse by the minute.

The “island of villages”, as a result, is developing into a ghost island. Practically half of its residential property is vacant.

The Gozo Regional Development Authority is right to emphasise all this. However, I have to point out that it has no authority to take action to remedy the situation. That rests with the “Planning Authority” which has meticulously planned and implemented this whole mess.

Where do we go from here?

As a minimum we need a moratorium on large scale development, not just in the “island of villages”, but all over the Maltese islands.  The rationalisation exercise must be scrapped the soonest. It must necessarily follow that the building construction industry must be cut down to size. It has caused too much damage to the country. The threat to the island of villages must be forcefully addressed.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 24 September 2023

Small is always beautiful

The Gozo Regional Development Strategy document, published for public consultation last week, is different from the crap which is usually fed into the consultation process.

It makes sense to speak of Gozo as an island of villages, reminiscent of German-born British econpmist E.F.Schumacher’s opus Small is beautiful. This is precisely the reason why Greens in Malta have continuously opposed the monstrous underwater tunnel between Malta and Gozo.

The tunnel would, among other things, discard Gozo’s unique characteristics. As a result of the projected tunnel, Gozo would no longer be an island of villages: it would be transformed into one village, one of many in the Maltese archipelago.

It is heartening, after so many years, for Labour in government, to realise this basic fact and start speaking some sense on regional planning and development.  It is definitely never too late to learn from past mistakes!

This is, however, just the beginning. Only time will tell whether this is just another exercise in greenwashing.

Many years ago, the Greens in Malta had proposed a specific target for Gozo’s Regional Development Strategy: Gozo as an eco-island. Government’s proposals are possibly slowly inching in that direction. It could do much better if it specifies this objective clearly and, in more detail, instead of going round in circles. This would necessarily mean having long-term behavioural change as a strategic objective, embedded in the Gozo document.

The proposed strategy speaks on the objective of a sustainable urban environment. Yet, the 2021 census report on residential property, just published, indicates that Gozo is the region with the highest proportion of vacant/under-used residential property in the Maltese islands. It is currently quantified at 45 per cent of the Gozitan housing stock. By no stretch of the imagination can this be classified as “sustainable”. 

It is a tough nut to crack overdevelopment which has been left to its own jungle rules for so long. A moratorium on large-scale development is an essential prerequisite as a first step to bring our house in order. This is an objective which I have been speaking on for ages. Its applicability should not be restricted to the Gozitan mainland.

The strategy rightly speaks on carbon neutrality and suggests that this could be achieved in Gozo much earlier than its attainment on the Maltese mainland. The generation of more renewable energy is one of the contributing elements to achieving this goal.

Another important measure is that of addressing the use of private cars. Applying a sustainable transport policy is crucial in this respect.

The strategy indicates that second thoughts on the undersea tunnel are possibly in the pipeline. This would potentially reduce a substantial number of cars from Gozitan roads.

It is pertinent to remember that the Gordon Cordina’s “feasibility study” on the Gozo tunnel had opined that car movements between the islands had to treble from 3,000 to 9,000 daily in order to ensure economic feasibility of the projected tunnel. 

If this issue is settled by shelfing the tunnel project, the number of cars on the road would still need to be addressed forcefully to inch our way towards carbon neutrality.

Small distances between localities in Gozo would be an encouragement to use public transport if this were more efficient: both punctual and frequent. The benefits resulting through such a transport modal shift would be substantial.

Transport electrification will not do much to achieve carbon neutrality. While contributing to a better air quality in our streets it would however add substantially to the daily consumption of electricity and make it much more difficult to achieve carbon neutrality. Hence the need for a modal shift.

There is also the issue of restricting car movements between the islands which the strategy ignores. Applying the polluter pays principle, an integral part of Maltese environmental law, one could consider the introduction of a congestion charge for private cars crossing over from Malta to Gozo.

This could work wonders to achieving a better air quality. It would also free Gozitan streets from a continuous vehicular invasion.

Small is really beautiful. Let us translate this reality into a better quality of life for all. The draft Gozo Regional Development strategy document is an opportunity which, if properly managed, can lead in this direction.

Published in The Times of Malta : 19 September 2023