Apr 24 - GSD Says Government Should Improve Infrastructure And Focus Less On “Vanity Projects”
The GSD Opposition has expressed its concern in relation to the wider economic and community issues arising from the difficulties being experienced with the supply of electricity in Gibraltar. The GSD says that those difficulties have “obviously been brought into sharp focus” by the events of the Easter weekend.
The GSD joins with Government in congratulating the essential services, the Gibraltar Electricity Authority and all other agencies involved in successfully bringing the incident on Sunday under control. “Their professionalism,” said a spokesperson from the party, “clearly averted a catastrophe.”
The GSD argues that the power failure and controlled shut down that endured for approximately six hours is, in the circumstances, “understandable but no less unacceptable” adding that the direct impact on the community during the time of these outages is “clearly the main source of concern, but what is entirely unacceptable, is the impact that this has on critical areas such as the gaming sector.”
A spokesperson said: "Back in 2011, following years of protracted legal proceedings that had blocked progress for over four years, the GSD Government had entered into contractual arrangements and work was beginning in respect of a new permanent power station for Gibraltar, away from densely populated areas, at Lathbury barracks which, had the project continued, would have been complete and online today. Waterport Power Station would likely have already been consigned to the history books."
The GSD says that the decision taken by the current Government to end the contract upon taking office and stopping the building of a new power station in its tracks, only to restart the process all over again has “resulted in significant delays and in the community having to continue to endure power cuts.” The GSD says it notes and shares in the many and varied observations made publicly and to the party by concerned Gibraltarians to the effect that this Government's “focus on vanity projects” such as the Commonwealth Park and the beautification and enhancement of the Chief Minister's premises at Number 6 Convent Place, amongst others, is “jeopardising the Government's ability to deliver the single most important item of infrastructure this community needs.” The GSD says it is of the opinion that the long-term sustainability of our economy relies on a “dependable source of power generation above all else.”
