Robert Abela 'shocked' to hear Alex Borg's comments on towers in Gozo

Robert Abela said on Sunday that while he has been “categorical” against having towers in Gozo, Alex Borg had said some areas on the island could have high-rises.

During a recent interview with whoswho.mt PN leader Alex Borg was asked if he would support the development of high-rise tower in Gozo. In his reply he said:

“You cannot generalise Gozo as a whole. There are places where there could be, [towers] based on a skyline policy, and there are areas where there shouldn't be, for example, in village cores,” Borg said.

Abela said in a recorded interview issued on Sunday that he was “shocked” to hear the opposition leader's statement.

“After hearing it once, I had to rewind and hear it again to make sure I understood correctly.”

Abela said that Borg’s statement revealed “fundamental differences” between the government’s policy and that of the opposition.

“I made a categorical statement that I do not want towers in Gozo, and he made a categorical statement that he does want towers in Gozo,” Abela said.

Abela said that the government’s policy for Gozo, an “island of villages”, was written by Gozitans themselves and ensures that Gozo retains its characteristics while bringing in high-value jobs.

The prime minister said that it was a Labour government in 2014 that stopped the possibility of towers being developed in Gozo through a high-rise policy.

That policy earmarked Marsa, Gżira, Mrieħel, the Qawra peninsula, Paceville and the Tigné peninsula for tall buildings above 10 storeys.

In his interview with whoswho.mt – a business-focused portal – Borg said he wanted to revise planning policies and also formulate a “high-rise policy” that earmarks where towers should be built.

“One of my proposals is to create a skyline policy. We started building towers in this country without having a skyline policy,” Borg said.

“We need a skyline policy that earmarks certain areas for towers, and areas where there cannot be towers and would be guaranteed not to have towers.”

Mass transport system discussions ‘intensify’

During an hour-long interview broadcast on One Radio, Abela said that the government’s discussions on having a mass transport system in Malta have “intensified”.

He said talks with Arup – the company that drafted plans for a Malta metro – are ongoing and that the company will be visiting Malta in the coming weeks.

Talks will be held on a technical but also political level, Abela said.

He said Arup’s most ambitious timeframe for a metro would mean that 20 years would be needed before Malta can have an up-and-running underground train system.

For the government to commit itself to such a long-term and expensive project, both the PL and PN needed to agree on the way forward as administrations could change by the time the project was completed.

The two parties need to agree on what system was best for Malta, he said.

Plans for a €6.2 billion underground metro system serving 25 stations around Malta were unveiled just before the last general election, then quietly shelved and conspicuously left out of Budget projections in subsequent years.

In April, the government said that fresh plans for a mass transport system would be announced by the end of the year.