Dwejra heritage park proposals published

The first draft of the action plan for the Qawra/Dwejra Heritage Park project was published yesterday, opening a consultation process that will last six weeks.

The draft includes proposals for 25 measures to be implemented for the area to achieve the desired levels of natural and cultural heritage protection. The project is being partly financed by the European Union's Life Third Countries Scheme.

The presentation of the draft plan follows last year's setting up of a Dwejra steering committee, involving representatives of the Ministry for Gozo, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the San Lawrenz local council and Nature Trust (Malta).

This project, initially submitted by Nature Trust (Malta) for EU funding, was one of 15 projects selected out of 107 projects submitted. Its implementation started in April 2004.

The steering committee is proposing a number of measures including the management of the boathouses and surrounding areas in Qawra, the upgrading of St Anne's chapel, parking management, the potential of the site for rambling, the use of solar energy technologies, the management of alien and invasive species of flora and fauna and visitor management.

The project would also cater for the establishment of different management zones within the park, both on land and in the sea, afforded different levels of protection.

There will be efforts to ensure recognition of the site's worth in several ways, including, for example, through its designation as a World Heritage Site.

Meetings with San Lawrenz and Gharb residents, as well as all stakeholders and the public, will be held towards the beginning of next month. Copies of the action plan may be obtained from Mepa against a fee of Lm30 or downloaded from www.mepa.org.mt.

Alternatively, copies of an information leaflet in Maltese, which contains a summary of the document, may be obtained from the Ministry for Gozo, from Mepa offices in Malta and Gozo as well as from the San Lawrenz and Gharb local council offices. Comments should reach Mepa by not later than May 24.