The conservation of the environment is crucial for the economic success of our country, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Speaking at a dialogue meeting in Sliema, Dr Gonzi said that we must use the funds from the European Union carefully to invest in a proper waste management system. He said that the government was soon to announce new measures on the recycling of waste.
Commenting on the Maghtab landfill, he said that the government had already spent millions to examine the gases emanating from the dump and would have to spend much more to rehabilitate the area. Dr Gonzi said that another problem was the quality of seawater and there were ongoing projects to establish sewage treatment plants.
The PM said that although alternative energy projects offered some respite, one must remain realistic as this costs money. He said that the most feasible operation appeared to be an offshore wind farm but the technology was still far off.
The Prime Minister said that the country was spending Lm7 million a year more on its fuel bill for low sulphur oil to minimise pollution. He said that there were two sites that had been identified by the government for land reclamation but there were some problems due to the incidence of protected algae.
Dr Gonzi said that he was in full agreement with the suggestions relating to the conservation of our countryside. However he said that although priorities must be set, the environment was at the top of the agenda, as it mattered greatly to our quality of life.
The Prime Minister said that he appreciated all input by NGOs but appealed to all to keep their feet on the ground. He said that some interventions focused on issues that despite being important, were not specifically related to EU funding.
"We have to make a fundamental choice in this country and leave independent institutions operating without government intervention," Dr Gonzi said in relation to Mepa's operation. He also spoke about animal welfare and said that there was a possibility for an Animal Welfare Centre.
A representative of Nature Trust spoke about the need for more funds to be directed to educational programmes on the environment. A representative from Birdlife Malta spoke about the need to conserve our natural reserves and asked about the possibility for more funding for NGOs.
A resident complained about the deteriorating quality of life in Sliema due to unsustainable development and infrastructure problems. Another resident complained on the lack of safety legislation within Mepa while Labour councillor Martin Debono asked whether a unit could be set up to advise councils on how to apply for EU funds.
Sliema councillor Gloria Mizzi asked whether funds could be used to subsidise scheduled homes. A representative from the National Council of Women asked about how electronic waste was to be disposed of and if funding was available for this. Alex Vella from the Ramblers Association asked about the possibility of creating a map for Malta defining public access and private areas.
Din l-Art Helwa president Martin Galea called for a national park in Malta. A Luqa resident presented photographs to the Prime Minister showing a building development, which was built less than a metre from her house while a resident from Maghtab called for funds to rehabilitate the locality which has suffered greatly due to the landfill. Other topics raised were GMOs, agro-tourism, biodiversity and alternative energy, including solar heating.
Environment minister George Pullicino said that the government is proposing new laws to regulate construction activity. He said there were also incentives for those purchasing energy saving devices.