As a regular visitor to Gozo, one of my favourite spots is Qbajjar, especially the area near the Qolla Battery (or "Rook" as it is now known since being turned into a discotheque).

It is beautiful place and well worth a visit. However a walk around the battery to admire the limestone formations, saltpans and surrounding sea, results in disappointment because of the filth, empty bottles, broken glass thrown all over the place and - if it's after a weekend - a strong smell of urine. There are even some sort of power or telephone lines hanging at shoulder height from a pole.

What's more, the battery itself is in dire need of restoration. God knows what the inside is like and I suppose nothing is being done to preserve that either.

The person who is making money out of the place couldn't care less about the building or what his clients do, just as long as the money keeps coming in, and nobody, including the government/ council/heritage organisation or whoever is responsible, seems to bother.

Will authorities stop looking the other way?

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