Gozo tourism lobby urges action following Qbajjar battery collapse
The incident is a stark reminder of historic sites left to deteriorate, the association said
Updated at 1.53 pm with PN statement
The Gozo Tourism lobby has called for urgent stabilisation works on the historic site, Qbajjar Battery, after its roof collapsed.
Photos sent to Times of Malta, taken on Sunday, show that part of the ceiling has caved in and left the interior strewn with dangerous debris.
The Qbajjar Battery is an artillery battery built by the Order of Saint John in 1715 as part of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands. It is one of only two remaining in Gozo and one in Comino.
In a statement on Monday, the Gozo Tourism Association expressed its deep concerns following the collapse, and how the incident is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the island's historic sites when they are left to deteriorate.
"The Qbajjar Battery is an irreplaceable element of Gozo’s coastal heritage, and every delay in its maintenance increases the risk of further, potentially irreversible damage," the association said.
The association is calling for urgent structural assessment to determine the extent of the collapse and for immediate stabilisation works to prevent additional deterioration.
The association added that the finalisation of a guardianship agreement with heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa should be prioritised.
The structure still falls under the responsibility of the Lands Authority. However, last month the government announced plans to hand it over to Din l-Art Ħelwa, entrusting it with the structure’s restoration and guardianship.
PN condemns government's lack of urgency to safeguard sites
In a statement on Monday, the Nationalist Party called out how the government is abdicating its responsibility to safeguard historic sites.
In a statement signed by shadow minister for Culture Julie Zahra, she said that despite having promised months ago that restoration works would commence on the Grade 1 scheduled property, the site has been left to deteriorate.
"The lack of investment in historic buildings and monuments shows that, for this Government, history and culture mean nothing," the statement reads.
The PN called for immediate accountability, as well as urgent intervention to save what remains of the battery.
"The Government appears to have learnt nothing from the tragedy in Marsaskala, when part of the Riħama Battery collapsed in a tragic incident that claimed the life of a young woman," she said.
"Instead of shouldering its responsibility to protect what belongs to us all and investing in the restoration of historic buildings, this Government is squandering hundreds of thousands of euros on propaganda that benefits only a select few."