Carmel Cacopardo

Four years ago, during a Cabinet meeting at the Ta’ Qali basketball pavilion, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that a €20 million car racing track would be constructed at Ħal Far. Cabinet was then discussing Malta’s sports strategy.

Four years down the line the estimated cost has ballooned to €78.3 million. This is discussed in some detail in a document entitled “The Development of the Malta Motorsport Hub in Hal Far: A Study Comprising Financial Feasibility, Capital Budget and High-Level Economic Impact Assessment” which was made public recently.

No one should be surprised if this estimate increases substantially, beyond €100 million, by the time the project comes to fruition, if it ever does. Last August, Infrastructure Malta published a list of direct orders in the Government Gazette, which direct orders were awarded during the first six months of the year. This list includes a €6 million direct order for the Reconstruction of drag-racing strip.  This €6 million price tag is not inclusive of VAT, signifying that the direct order surpasses €7 million in value.

Three months ago, I referred this specific matter for the attention of the Auditor General in view of the fact that the direct order procedure is being used to circumvent public procurement regulations. Hopefully the matter is being examined by the National Audit Office and eventually we will be informed of the conclusions reached.

Planning application PA1721/23 for the upgrading of the drag-racing strip was approved by the Planning Authority some 18 months ago. Works which have already commenced utilising the direct order abovementioned have apparently hit a snag. Apparently, difficulties have arisen relative to the reinforced concrete slabs laid as part of the upgrading of the drag-racing strip. It is not yet clear as to whether any of these reinforced concrete slabs will have to be discarded and possibly re-laid. This will increase costs, and delay the completion of the works.

The Planning Authority website, indicates that planning application PA2929/24 for the car racing track has been withdrawn. The application was still at screening stage and lacked studies requested by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA,) primarily as to how noise and light pollution were to be addressed. ERA had also requested a biodiversity study in terms of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Regulations “in view of the possible impacts on the integrity of the habitats, species of the listed Natura 2000 sites.”  As pointed out in the PDS the areas of ecological importance and the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are just 600 metres away from the boundary of the racing track project.

Limiting myself, for the time being, to issues of noise, it has to be borne in mind that the surrounding localities, primarily Birżebbuġa, are already impacted with noise pollution. There is a cumulative impact which is already substantial as existing studies clearly show. The racing track which will be approximately 2 kilometres long will make the situation much worse than it already is. The extent of all this would eventually depend on the effectiveness of the measures taken to contain the noise generated.

Primarily the new impacts will be on the Tal-Papa Area of Birżebbuġa, very close to the car racing track, although one cannot ignore impacts on the rest of Birżebbuġa as well as the residential areas of both Safi and Kirkop.

An additional important point which must be made is that the car racing track will signify additional use of (subsidised) fossil fuels at a time when it would be more appropriate to consider their phasing out. This is definitely not in the spirit of Malta’s commitments at various Climate Summits.

The land impacted by the car racing track is substantial, around 82,900 square metres. Most of it, according to the project description statement (PDS) lies outside the Ħal-Far industrial estate boundary. In addition to land already in use for drag-racing, it is either agricultural land or else used for parking or open storage.

The PDS also hints at the possible desirable relocation of the refugee facilities in the vicinity due to the substantial environmental impacts, primarily noise impacts. So far government has been silent about the whole matter. The consequences of such a proposal would be substantial dependent on whether government opts for relocation or else whether it prefers to retain the refugee community in place.

The racing track proposal has no reasonable benefits to the local community. There is no justification for the substantial public funds which will be spent to further the interest of the few. Irrespective of how you look at it, it is also an issue of state aid.

The car racing track is not just a case of more money down the drain. The decision to select a site for a car racing track at Ħal Far, on the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, betrays a gross lack of sensitivity towards the welfare of the residential communities in the vicinity. It adds insult to injury, as if they have not already suffered enough.

Carmel Cacopardo is ADPD-The Green Party’s Deputy Chairperson

First published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 23 November 2025