Zurrieq’s only bring-in site will be removed, since it has not been utilised in the right manner, said mayor Ignatius Farrugia.
In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Farrugia said the council’s idea was to introduce a pilot project to encourage waste separation, but alternative ways must now be found.
Mr Farrugia said that during a local council meeting held on Tuesday, councillors analysed the project and found that the only bring-in site in Zurrieq was being abused of and was proving to be detrimental to public health.
The council had no way out but to scrap the idea for the time being, in the same way as 50 skips had to be removed from the locality some years back, since they were not being used correctly, said Mr Farrugia.
He added that in no way did this mean that the local council was against the idea of waste separation, or that the company providing the service had slackened.
The local council will be exploring other innovative methods of waste separation that will not be detrimental to public health, or the surrounding environment.
While appealing for public cooperation, Mr Farrugia said the local council is committed to listen to residents’ proposals for waste separation methods, including educational campaigns.
Meanwhile, in reaction to the mayor’s statement, Zurrieq PN councillors Mario Paul Ellul and Melvyn Mangion said they wanted to disassociate themselves from what Mr Farrugia said regarding the bring-in site in the locality.
They said Zurrieq MLP councillors alone had decided to exclude the possibility of ever installing another bring-in site in the locality and that they had publicly stated that no campaign would ever educate some Zurrieq residents.
They said MLP councillors had strongly opposed the PN councillors’ proposal to install a camera at the bring-in site and fine abusers.
Moreover, they said that only four skips should have been set up at the site and the fifth site for organic waste was extra.
The project would have been successful had the council installed the camera and excluded the fifth skip, said Mr Ellul and Mr Mangion, asking whether the controversy over the issue might have stemmed from political interests.
PN councillors said the removal of the locality’s only bring-in site was shameful, irresponsible and disrespectful towards Zurrieq residents.
While deploring the decision, saying Zurrieq was once again going to be included in the list of localities not having any bring-in sites, PN councillors said they will support MLP councillors if they had to admit their mistake and seriously reconsider their decision.