Minister highlights rehabilitation, embellishment works

Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit has praised the workers of the Works Division for their rehabilitation and clean-up work over the past year.

"We have showed we can give good results while saving money," he said when speaking during the budget debate.

Mr Zammit went over the activities of his ministry after reacting to various points raised earlier by the opposition,

He said an energy policy had been drafted by the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) but it was now being updated in view of developments in the worldwide energy sector.

As for water quality, he wanted to assure everyone that tap water was safe. Tests were the responsibility of the health authorities, not the WSC or the MRA.

Turning to oil exploration, Mr Zammit said this had been within the portfolio of his ministry only since April. Tests carried out in the last Gozo exploratory well did not show any commercially viable oil or gas reserves.

It was not true that there were pressures for work to be done in one way or another and any allegations which Joe Mizzi (MLP) made should be backed up. He said geological surveys of Maltese territory were continuing as well as the marketing of Malta's oil exploration possibilities.

As to whether the MRA had approved the water and power surcharge, Mr Zammit said this was a "surcharge" not a change in the tariffs and once oil prices stabilised at normal levels it would not be required.

On the rehabilitation of the bastions and fortifications, Mr Zammit said a study had been made by the University of Bologna, the weak areas were known and funds to repair them were to be sought. In the meantime there was a unit to provide regular maintenance of the bastions.

Mr Zammit said the cleaning of the valleys had been given high priority by his ministry following the flooding in September last year. The Works Division had identified the flood areas most as risk and drawn up a holistic approach to the problem, with the works divided in several phases. The strongest focus was placed at Qormi-Marsa and the Burmarrad zone. At the former, a 1.6km watercourse was built along with a new embankment. The works included the demolition of three old bridges. One had been rebuilt and work on the other two was continuing. The project had also involved the removal of poles and other obstacles including some trees. The water course was now 12m wide, compared to 7m last year, and, happily, no flooding had taken place this year. The project would continue next year when another watercourse would be widened at Marsa. The project had used €1 million from the EU Solidarity Fund.

At Burmarrad, 4km of valley floor were cleaned and retention walls repaired. The area around the Salina salt pans was given a much needed clean-up and dredging would be continued next year when the water course going back to Burmarrad would be excavated once more.

Turning to the Mdina project, he said the paving works were being carried out under expert advice. The cost of the project would rise to Lm1 million from a projected Lm500,000 because of the services works which accompanied the actual paving works.

He said the Vittoriosa masterplan had been concluded and was being extended to the whole of Cottonera.

He said plans for paving of Merchants' Street had been postponed so that the funds could be used on other priorities.

Since Malta joined the EU, it had received €600,000 for restoration works. Various restoration projects were being submitted for funding under the 2007-2012 EU budget.

Reacting to comments on embellishment projects, Mr Zammit said the works at St Thomas Bay had not touched the shanty town there and were concentrated on the other part of the bay, which was developed in a legal manner.

Works on the Marsaxlokk promenade were temporarily shelved following disagreements with the former council but fresh talks were currently under way.

The MRA, the minister said, was relatively young and it was difficult to find experts for this area. The authority was focusing on compliance with EU directives and drawing up policies such as on the electrical energy networks and renewable energy sources. The authority was also responsible for the licensing of quarries.

Mr Zammit said the ministry had been restructured and thus became more efficient. Teams had been set up to collaborate with local councils on clean-ups and small rehabilitation works.

Significant savings had been made in operations, with the bill for property rentals cut by a third, saving Lm70,000. Telephone bills were down 13 per cent and Lm90,000 had been saved on the hire of vehicles. All this money was chanelled to projects. The ministry had also set up a section to account for the use of materials.

Mr Zammit said the ministry's workers this year collected 16,000 tons of waste. Twenty-seven councils had reached agreement with the ministry on maintenance works including public conveniences and removal of bulky refuse.

The Valletta/Floriana, Cottonera and Mdina rehabilitation committees had this year carried out substantial works on several monuments in their relative town and cities.

Other restoration works included those at the Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa, the Wignacourt Aqueduct where 160 arches were being restored, a chapel in Siggiewi, Safi square, and the area of the Xarolla windmill which was transformed like day from night.

Urgent restoration works were needed in several areas including St John's Co-Cathedral and at the chapel of St Vincent de Paul.

The Upper Barrakka Garden had been given an overhaul.

Major work was also done in the Gillieru area in St Paul's Bay at a cost of Lm275,000.

Other projects were also being done in partnership with local councils who paid for the materials used and only a percentage of the value of the works. Among works which were planned were embellishments at Mellieha square, Mqabba, Xaghra, December 13 Road Marsa, the squares in front of Birzebbuga and Lija churches and Hastings garden in Valletta, Mr Zammit said.

Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo said clean-up campaigns needed to be on-going so that people would dispose of their waste properly. They would also be doing a service for themselves and tourists if they collected a paper or two from the roads.

Mr Arrigo referred to the Sliema embellishment project and regretted that works in the area of the Preluna had not been taken in hand yet.

In other countries, the Maltese were amazed with the cleanliness of the roads but they unfortunately cared very little about the upkeep of their country.

He had recently attended a clean-up at the sea at Sliema where sackfulls of waste were collected.

The Nationalist MP praised the government for the Paceville project.

A clean country, he said, would also mean an increase in employment since tourists would be encouraged to return.

Nationalist MP David Agius welcomed the clean-ups of the valleys to solve flooding problems. He said many tonnes of material were removed from water courses. Such works would be continued throughout the year.

Mr Agius said it was positive that the Wignacourt aqueduct was being restored, old village squares were being given new life and a lot of important work was also being done in Valletta, Mdina and the three cities.

Joe Falzon (PN) praised the work being done by the Building Industry Consultative Council including its courses for stone masons, the courses on the building of rubble walls, road design, stone preservation techniques, health and safety and the continuous professional course for architects. The council had drawn up recommendations on the real estate market including the inheritance tax, and on an updating of building regulations. It was also drawing up a comprehensive State of the Construction Industry report. The government was also developing the concept of public-private partnerships on the basis of recommendations by the BICC. The BCCI was also involving itself with third party issues, such as insurances for people living near building sites.

Mr Falzon said laws, such as those involving excavation works, needed to be updated in view of the new equipment being used.

The Nationalist MP welcomed the budget measure in favour of those who opted for solar energy. All new government buildings should feature such equipment.