Manacor town hall has submitted four projects for tourist tax revenue consideration. The total value of the projects is 15 million euros. They are for municipal vehicles, a car park, a denitrifier for tap water and - top of the list - the purchase of land at Cala Varques.
Mayor Catalina Riera says that there is consensus among political parties at the town hall for the projects. The delegate for Porto Cristo, Joan Gomila, observes that Manacor, which since 2016 has been responsible for some ten million euros of tax revenue, has not received a cent in return.
The Cala Varques project would involve the acquisition of fifty "quarterades", around 35.5 hectares, which have protected status as a place of community interest, as part of the Red Natura network of environmentally sensitive areas and as a zone for the special protection of birds. The land is valued at up to four million euros.
Environment councillor Pedro Rosselló states that the Balearic government has an obligation to conserve the natural values of the Cala Varques area. The land could become town hall property, but however the ownership is defined, there would be co-management by the relevant public authorities.
The project for a denitrifier would be to modernise the water network. It has an estimated value of 3.69 million euros. In Porto Cristo there is a lack of parking spaces, so the proposal is for an underground car park at the Plaça S'Aljub which could accommodate 340 vehicles.
The municipal vehicles are ones that are used for street cleaning. The project would be for their replacement with vehicles that run on renewable energy sources.