Recent statements by the Opposition in respect of the alleged plight of small boat owners, again demonstrate the Opposition’s hypocrisy and their desire to jump on to any bandwagon for their own political ends, despite their own history in the matter.
The statement by Dr Joseph Garcia also shows his tendency to make one sided statements without first ensuring that he is in possession of the true facts. The owners of the boats berthed at the ex-yacht reporting berth pontoon, were fully aware that they were not entitled to berth their boats there and that these would have to be removed at short notice, once the yacht filling station that was being built in the vicinity required them to be moved. They have been offered the option of either seeking an alternative berth themselves or bringing their boats ashore at Western Beach, as it is essential that their boats are removed from the ex- yacht reporting berth. This will now have to happen.
The Opposition seem to believe that the people of Gibraltar generally and small boat owners in particular have very short memories and have forgotten that is was the GSLP Government that moved small boats out of the Camber Basin to the unsafe Western Beach in order to make room for a luxury Marina and development at Queensway Quay. It was then the GSD Government that provided the local boating community with an excellent, new and safe Marina at Coaling Island within the harbour at a cost of over one million pounds. This marina has first class facilities and affords small boats excellent protection from the elements.
As is well known to the boating community, it is the Government’s policy to provide adequate berthing facilities to all local boat owners. This will be done once the Government has been able to identify a suitable location for this purpose.
