This time of the year many decide to take a break on the sister island to refresh themselves for the weeks and months ahead as probably there will not be many such opportunities until before Christmas. To date Gozo retains its unique characteristics as the place where time to stood still. However, this status is increasingly coming under threat as a result of various factors such as greed, over population and poor planning.

Until a few years ago the policy for Gozo based on the idea of having an ecological island, given that fortunately its pristine environment had been safeguarded. Though such plan leaved much to be desired at times, at least there was the political will to do something for the common good.

Unfortunately, these days this idea seems to have been relegated to the bottom with the topmost priority being overdevelopment even at the cost of uglification. If this was not enough parts of the sister island like Marsalforn are being inundated with social problems, which is giving rise to issues of public safety.

Though fingers are being pointed to certain developers, the buck ultimately stops with legislators, the planning authority and political parties. As long as certain planning obscenities and developments on virgin land will be deemed acceptable, these controversial projects will keep seeing the light of day. Unfortunately, parts of Gozo are already morphing into an extension of Malta.  This is clearly evident in the urban landscape of certain towns and villages whereby the parish church no longer dominates the view as it is being dwarfed by large blocks.  The pattern has become quite familiar. It all takes one ‘pencil development’ in a particular area or street to open the floodgates and trigger a chain reaction comprising buildings being demolished and replaced by four storeys or higher.

This short-sighted approach might yield a stash of cash to property owners, contractors and the construction industry in general, but what about the long-term impact? For how long can Gozo sustain such environmental degradation without jeopardising its village cores, valleys and rural landscape?  Undoubtedly, Gozo will no longer attract visitors if there is nothing left to see except for bricks, concrete, traffic and overdevelopment.  What Malta and Gozo really need is a comprehensive overhaul in planning laws which encourage restoration and a type of urban planning which facilitates a better quality of life. Moreover, the two political parties need to decide where their loyalty lies – whether they are on the people’s side or whether they are ready to compromise themselves by selling their souls to a selected few in return for money.  That stage whereby Eco-Gozo would shift to Lego-Gozo (a place full of bricks and nothing else) could be much closer than we think. Let us not kill the goose laying the golden eggs.