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Can Fortina Take A Piece Of St Julian’s Bay Without Parliament’s Approval? MP Takes Malta’s Environment Minister To Task Over Jetty Plans

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Malta’s Environment Minister Jose Herrera is being taken to task over Fortina’s proposed plans for a privately-owned jetty in the public domain of St Julian’s, without the consent of parliament and without considering the environmental risks to the protected reef.

Usually, an area within the public domain can only be transferred through a specific resolution of Parliament with a simple majority. However, such an act has been noticeably absent in this case, as noted by MP Jason Azzopardi, the PN’s spokesperson for the environment, in a social media post following a Lovin Malta article.

The law imposes a burden on the state to protect public domain sites for future generations, safeguarding against unsustainable development, commercialisation and environmental destruction.

The entire stretch from Sliema’s. Tigne’ Point and St Julian’s St George’s Bay has been identified as an area for the public domain. However, its status remains murky.

Despite the entire coastline being established as an area of public domain. The area, much like the other 3 sites proposed for public domain status two years ago, are yet to be formally granted protection.

The application is also puzzling given that it would be declassification resolution that would establish whether the project would be open for a single applicant or an entire tendering process. However, the proposal seems to imply that this has already been established.

The Fortel Group’s application looks to build a new jetty for a hop-on-hop-off maritime service, similar to their own hop-on-hop-off bus concept.

The group currently runs the massively successful Captain Morgan cruises, whose ticket booths and berthing points already take up sizeable portions of the Sliema ferries promenade.

As Azzopardi also noted, the studies made for the beach replenishment project in Balluta Bay found that the area is rife with Posidonia beds, which are protected by law.

The project itself also seems to run contrary to the government’s plans for the area. After replenishing the sand of Balluta Bay to much fanfare, it seems the government identified the area as a swimming zone for both tourists and residents to enjoy

“Neither he nor anyone else have any right to ride roughshod over this Law & the people’s right to enjoy the Bay unencumbered,” Azzopardi said.

Fortel has had its luck of the green in recent years, with the Fortina Hotel controversially changing its lease on a massive tract of land from solely tourism to a mixed-use development with the blessing and approval of Malta’s ruling party.

They also have plans to extend some 180 square meters into Malta’s water to grow their shoreside Fortina Lido.

The Zammit Tabonas were also a crucial part of the proposed fast-ferry service between Malta and Gozo, which was shot down by the Public Contracts Review Board because of irregularities.

Ruth Trapani Galea, a member of the Zammit Tabona family, also forms part of the group set to transfer an old military hospital in Mtarfa into an international school, one the latest state-owned public assets that were siphoned off to a private company.

READ NEXT: Fortina Bids For Private Jetty In St Julian’s Bay As CEO Runs For Presidency Of Nearby Waterpolo Club

Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.

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