Zammit Lewis beats the drum for land reclamation

Former Minister and Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis is calling on the government to “immediately” embark on land reclamation projects.

Land reclamation has been considered under various administrations since 2005 and has recently featured in the government’s plan for the future, dubbed Vision 2050.

In a Facebook post, Zammit Lewis urged the government to act decisively, saying Prime Minister Robert Abela has already shown leadership and courage in past decisions.

“A country that is growing economically and is as small as ours needs to expand to ensure long-term prosperity for future generations,” he wrote.

Zammit Lewis suggested that the projects should be located particularly in areas already identified in the Environment and Resources Authority’s (ERA) 2019 report. The ERA report had identified a whole stretch of coast line between Xgħajra and Portomaso for this purpose as the only site ideal for large scale reclamation while other sites like Qalet Marku in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq were identified for medium and small-scale reclamation.

While warning against speculative developments on reclaimed land, Zammit Lewis emphasised that a commercial component is essential to make such projects viable.

“Although it shouldn’t be a purely speculative project, a certain commercial viability is important, and this requires private sector involvement through an open and competitive process,” he said.

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A report prepared by British experts Scott Wilson in 2008 concluded that only a Smart City-style development which includes vast tracts of real estate would recover such an investment.

But Zammit Lewis insists that the “residential component” of such a project should also cater for affordable housing for first time buyers.

Zammit Lewis argued that reclamation should serve strategic national goals, including the relocation of inconvenient or potentially hazardous activities to less disruptive locations.

He proposed that such projects include the creation of open spaces, green areas, and sports facilities for local communities.

Zammit Lewis also suggested that Malta should enter into a bilateral process with the Netherlands, which has a long history of and reclamation technology, to benefit from their expertise and know-how.