The Salini rehabilitation project will see the dilapidated and out of use salt pans turned into a living museum which actively produced high quality salt as a commercial venture, said Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino yesterday.

Mr Pullicino was speaking during a press conference at the Bella Vista Hotel in Qawra to announce the formal opening of Phase One of the project, which has seen 45,000 square metres worth of trees planted in Kennedy Grove. The total wooded area has now been increased six-fold, albeit with immature trees which still have to grow to adult size over the next four or five years.

The view of Kennedy Grove is truly impressive, but the project does not simply stop at the planting of a few thousand trees. The project will eventually result in the total rehabilitation of the salt pans, garigue land as well as returning certain parts of Kennedy Grove to their original saline marsh state, which is very rich in endemic biodiversity.

The salt pans are currently owned by a company, however production halted a couple of years ago due to the massive damage sustained in two very heavy floods. Architect Claude Busuttil explained that the salt pans were purpose built by the Knights of St John in the 1600s. He also said that there were plans to restore various fortifications which were placed there to ward off marauding corsairs. In those days salt was worth its weight in gold as it was used as a food preservative. The word “salary” is also derived from “salt” and was used to pay soldiers and workers in Roman times, proving the value of what was, until the advent of fridges and freezers, a necessity rather than a commodity.

Mr Busuttil went on the highlight the damage caused to the facility in the floods and this included damage to the soccorso (water channel), retaining walls, the embankment and many other features.

The first priority is to clear out the tidal canal system and to elevate the road which passes over the valley’s floodwater exit point to the canals. This will allow for widening the exit point, preventing flooding.

The Kennedy memorial will also receive attention as it has suffered damage as a result of land subsidence. As mentioned, the project will include the re-establishment of garigue land and introduction of endemic species which will allow wildlife, flora and fauna to flourish.

There are also hopes to restore the structures where salt was produced and stored in the past, however, it will prove difficult as the metal frame is completely rusted (due to the presence of salt) and the wooden exterior is rotten. A restaurant is also expected to be opened in the Salini. Other ideas include boat tours around the salt pans, visitors’ centres and the facility to see salt being produced.

Environment Minister George Pullicino thanked the general public for their contribution in planting over 11,000 trees in the area. “It is a beautiful and unique gem and we have the duty to restore it,” he said.

Mr Pullicino said that the opening of the first phase this coming Sunday is not a one off. “We are determined to see this to fruition. Phase two will start in the coming weeks and we will round off this ambitious project with the total rehabilitation and restoration of the only purpose-built salt collection and production facility,” he said.

Mr Pullicino said that the project is being funded through the EU’s Rural Development and Intereg programmes. He said that the plans do not end there, but that more work will be carried out to integrate Burmarrad and Salina into a natural storm water drain.

“We have spoken to experts in France and Sicily about the salt pans as both countries have recently carried out similar projects with Trapani (Sicily) being very similar to the Salini,” he said.

The Malta Independent pointed out that only a few years ago, Kennedy Grove was a heaving mass of sewage spilt from a nearby pumping station, Maghtab was still in use and that the whole Burmarrad Valley was blocked. “I appreciate that you can see what a change we have witnessed. Let me take Maghtab. People say we have invested nothing in St Paul’s Bay and Qawra… yet I say that the biggest investment was in closing down the Maghtab Mountain,” said Mr Pullicino. He added: “It’s still not solved. The fires still rage inside at 220°C. We need to extract more gas and begin the process to turn it into a park and we need to spend another e35 million. And we will spend them because it is part of our vision,” said the Minister.

He said that the government could not consider the Malta Labour Party’s plan to lay down a golf course at Maghtab. “First they said that our tree planting exercise was a failure, now they want to lay down turf? It’s much harder to maintain and talk of doing so is simply hot air. Besides, I want the Maltese people to enjoy it, not just a few golfers,” said Mr Pullicino.