Long-delayed Gozo aquatic complex will open 'this summer', minister says
Clint Camilleri still unable to provide a specific launch date for much-delayed project
The long-awaited aquatic sports complex in Gozo will open this summer, Clint Camilleri has said.
The project has been in the works for years, ever since the government announced it had signed an agreement for the so-called Gozo Natatorium project in 2016.
Gozo Minister Camilleri said the project will soon open, with an exact date to be announced shortly.
The minister said the complex is already being put to use by Gozo’s waterpolo team, Otters.
The waterpolo team started trialing the facility last Monday to establish if the facilities have any shortcomings.
Asked about the delays in the project, which was meant to open in 2021, Camilleri hit out at the opposition:
“The biggest delay came from the Nationalist Party who promised it for 20 years and never delivered.
“Works on the project began in 2020, and this year it will be opened,” Camilleri said, adding that the project covers 5,000 square metres.
Besides an Olympic-size swimming pool, the complex includes facilities that will cater for gymnastics, basketball, badminton, squash, wall climbing, acrobatics, weightlifting, aerobics, yoga and martial arts.
Seven tenders were issued for the project, amounting to a total expenditure of €19.8 million.
The total cost of the project remains unclear, but it appears likely that the government went over budget in several areas. Between 2019 and 2023, the government spent nearly €6.6 million more than it had budgeted.