Minister defends track record on construction safety after Naxxar incident

Jonathan Attard has defended the government’s track record on construction reform following last week’s partial collapse of a massive development in Naxxar. 

“In the past, when incidents like this used to take place, residents were left on their own. The government is now helping them in a tangible way,” construction reform minister Attard said on Wednesday. 

He was speaking after the foundations of a multi-storey development gave way last week. His comments, however, came before a report into the incident cast doubt on the construction methods used and described the situation as “precarious”. 

Attard listed the services offered by the Building and Construction Authority to those whose property is in danger because of nearby construction sites.

That includes providing accommodation for those who are evacuated from their homes, and a paid-for lawyer and architect to assist in claims. 

The construction reform minister also pointed to a proposal in the PL’s manifesto “that will make a huge difference in people’s lives”. 

“Our proposal is for the government to immediately pay for damages that people have suffered because of construction. The state will then take it on themselves to sue those who allegedly caused the damage,” Attard said.

The government has also made the construction industry safer, he said, pointing to the new requirement for contractors to be licensed, and a reform in the mason’s license. 

Work on introducing new building codes is also at an advanced stage, and will be introduced in the next legislature should the PL be elected, he said. 

“It will mean introducing necessary changes that will definitely make a difference not only in this particular incident (Naxxar partial collapse) but the entire dynamic of the construction industry,” Attard said.

Last Thursday, the Building and Construction Authority ordered 10 families living near a Naxxar construction site to evacuate following the partial collapse.

The site is being developed by contractor Anton Camilleri, known as Tal-Franċiż, who is also behind the Villa Rosa mega-development proposal.

Speaking to Times of Malta soon after the incident, Camilleri insisted there is "absolutely no danger". 

However, a report by structural engineer and University of Malta professor Alex Torpiano described the situation at the site as “very precarious, at various levels” while casting doubts on the construction methods used.

Torpiano attributed the partial collapse at the foundation of AC Group’s multi-storey development to the “severe imbalance” between the level of filling between supporting walls and the adjacent “excavated void”.