Conserving our heritage

The Maltese islands are fortunate in having one of the highest concentrations of cultural and artistic artefacts and structures in Europe. This immense heritage forms a cultural landscape that integrates well with our natural and human environment but now risks becoming transient if it is not properly administered and protected. Labour is determined to tackle the problems leading to the degradation of national heritage and reverse the damage being done by the present administration.

The Nationalist administration tried to tackle the problem of heritage protection over the past two decades but has failed in its endeavours because of the intrinsic partisan approach it has adopted. The government has created a patchwork of heritage-related organisations that barely speak to each other and simply exist to adorn the growing constellation of quangos that have sprung up to offer jobs for the boys. This approach will lead us to nowhere and will dilute our efforts to tackle the problem of our disappearing heritage.

The Prime Minister seems to have belatedly acknowledged the mistaken direction the government had adopted in the past decade or so and during the last budget speech Lawrence Gonzi announced the integration of the Malta Centre for Restoration (MCR) with Heritage Malta.

This is the first step towards ending fragmentation (although we are still waiting for it to happen!). It should make the heavy investments in MCR yield fruit in the interest of the protection of local heritage rather than serve to employ foreigners just for the sake of an international semblance for MCR, despite the fact that it has barely left its mark locally! Surely, Malta cannot afford to employ foreign personnel hailing from as far away as Japan when more qualified local personnel are available and seeking work.

Hopefully, Heritage Malta will adopt better management practices and ensure that the numerous qualified local experts that had been ousted from MCR or resigned in disgruntlement are invited back. Undoubtedly, MCR will be an important test for Heritage Malta on which it will either stand as a viable long-term institution or fall.

The fragmentation of responsibilities relating to the local heritage sector has meant that effective control on restoration techniques has been absent. The role of the superintendence for heritage remains elusive as a controller of restoration projects, while the superintendence for fortifications seems to have hibernated, despite the fact that our vast architectural heritage needs special attention because it consists mostly of local stone that, within the European context, is considered to be relatively weak. It is also susceptible to rapid weathering which has already defaced many of our architectural gems and rendered them barely discernible.

Meanwhile, the list of disputable methods of "restoration" employed at notable historical sites grows longer. For instance, Portes des Bombes has been stripped of its protective patina by aggressive "cleaning" techniques that has left it more vulnerable to damage from the elements. The same fate has befallen a number of fortifications, with the added injury that some of their ancient stones that have withstood centuries have been replaced by poor quality fresh stone that weathers within a few years. The derelict Scamp's Palace at Vittoriosa was also partly re-built using stone that is totally alien and inferior to the type of stone used by the original builders. At Pinto stores, in Floriana, we see another quick fix approach relying on stone cladding rather then proper restoration of the original stone. The greatest danger to this site remains the precarious steep road-cut behind this building which is vulnerable to failure.

Even Mdina was not spared the effects of the PN's incompetence and neglect. The use of deplorable "restoration" techniques, such as the pitting of stone façades, goes unabated and has already defaced a number of buildings in Mdina. Its streets are now being paved with imported limestone from Sicily.

It is foreseeable that this imported stone, which is unsuited for the purpose of paving, will be marred with dirt and oil stains. A cursory look at the old paving of Mdina will show that zonqor was preferred by our forefathers since it is far more suitable as a paving stone because it is more resistant, less liable to staining and has better non-slip qualities. Apparently, the decision to pave Mdina was taken without the input of an expert on stone. This contrasts with the professional methods and expert advice the Labour government relied on when Republic Street in Valletta was paved in record time.

Mdina may face its greatest challenge to its existence from slope instability around Vilhena Palace. The Labour government tried to remedy the problem in 1997 by a project based on site investigations and the expert input of local professionals to study the geological problems leading to failure of the palace and surrounding buildings.

The subsequent PN administration discarded this project and the local experts and started afresh. The PN's bravura was to increase expenditure by 20 times, assign supervision of the job to certain people and sprinkle the project with a few foreign names to give a semblance of credibility. The end result was no results at all! Vilhena Palace and environs remain in a precarious situation despite the money spent. While the incompetent thrive, the city of Mdina continues to mourn its glorious past as its future grows dimmer.

This pattern seems to be repeating itself in the case of the giant "tent" over Ggantija temples (and other temple sites) being proposed by the government. This ludicrous project will aesthetically mar the site and most likely increase damage to the ancient megaliths by creating a microclimate that accelerates stone weathering.

If the proponents of this giant "tent" want to be credible, I suggest they should first try to sell their expensive proposal to the British for their Stonehenge megalithic site or try the Greeks and their Parthenon. If they succeed on Wessex plain or the Acropolis (most unlikely in the next 1,000 years!), Malta may then welcome their project for our ailing temples. Taxpayers' money should be spent on real restoration projects such as stone conservation and treatment and not on whimsical hefty projects that deplete our coffers.

The future of cultural sites in Malta remains at risk as long as the present administration continues to deal with problems affecting heritage from a purely partisan perspective. This mistaken approach has persisted for too long and has struck at the heart of our cultural heritage. Not even St John's co-cathedral in Valletta has been spared. There sculptures that adorn its columns continue to be damaged by salt crystallisation that was aggravated a few years ago rather then abated as a result of incompetent "conservation".

Admittedly, mistakes are human, but utter incompetence is unacceptable. Labour wants to raise the levels of restoration and rationalise the approach to the conservation of our national heritage. We seek to involve a large spectrum of opinion and expertise and work with NGOs so that the best results are achieved.

Mr Galdes MP is the Labour Party's spokesman for the environment and national heritage.