As the Ria Formosa islanders await the arrival of bulldozers to remove properties formally sized by the State in March, the entity responsible for the long-running battle has released some good investment news that will improve facilities and the island environment.
Of the 31 properties on Culatra island due to be flattened, four have been saved by court injunctions, no lived in homes will be destroyed and a new Ria Formosa plan is being worked on that should ensure the islanders have their rights protected in the future.
The islanders want their built and natural environment developed along sustainable lines and a long-overdue investment in social and fishing infrastructure at last has been announced with Polis today approving a raft of investments totaling €8.5 million to upgrade access and other areas on the islands, for so long a battle ground.
There will be a new passenger jetty in Tavira, and work is planned for Culatra Island, Ancão beach and along the Avenida 5 de Outubro in Olhão, according to the Ministry of the Environment which released a statement today after a meeting of the general assembly of the Polis Society of Ria Formosa at which five projects were given the thumbs up.
The government is only chipping in €4.6 million of the €8.5 million needed, the balance coming from local ratepayers of Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Loulé with some money coming from Docapesca.
The work on the Avenida 5 de Outubro in Olhão is perhaps the most controversial as an information giving session earlier in the year displayed an ill-thought-out one way system along one of the city’s busiest routes with little or no accommodation for the inevitable summertime traffic chaos.
The Polis report is light on the fact that the current, much loved park in Olhão is to be dug up and repaced with a modern interpretation of what a park should look like to 'attract tourists.'
The current bridge across to Faro Island will be replaced, according to the announcement but locals are fed up with successive announcements over the years that have led to nothing. The latest bridge plan aims to improve mobility, “creating a mixed circulation solution for cars, pedestrians and bicycles,” but many remain unimpressed as the 'solutions' to date have lacked common sense and, anyway, have failed to start.
The work on Culatra Island aims to improve the fishing harbour area, create a dry dock and make a pleasant area around the church among other developemnts.
The crumbling dock in Tavira will be replaced and the dunes at Praia do Ancão will be attended to, as well as another new car parking system being deevisded as the current one seems inadequate.
This is council election year and the feel good factor from this announcement is intended by the ministry to last until the autumn.
Whether any of the work will have started by then, remains to be seen as locals are well versed in spotting political promises with impressive budgets that melt away when the voting is over.
This all is a far cry from the situation last year when dozens more islanders were due to lose their homes in a Polis purge that had little to do with the environment and everything to do with bullying, abuse of power and vindictiveness.
One seasoned Olhão observer pointed out on Facebook that the millions to be spent, much of it unnecessary such as the destruction of the Joaquim Lopes gardens on the Avenida 5 Octubro, does not include a cent for perhaps the most pressing problem in the Ria Formosa, the daily public health crime of dumping raw sewage straight into the lagoon, especially from the outlet next to the Olhão ferry terminal.
This has been referred to by local former councillor, Eduardo Cruz, as “just visual pollution,” although it is unlikely that he would drink it, if given the opportunity.
