Environment Minister Miriam Dalli told The Malta Independent on Friday that she is convinced that the gravelling in the picnic area of Ta' Qali National Park was done with good intentions, and that everyone should "wait and see how it develops."
The gravel works that have sparked controversy in recent months in the Ta' Qali National Park do not fall under Minister Dalli's remit. That being said, this newsroom asked the Minister for Environment for comments on this situation given the nature of the topic at hand.
With winter steadily approaching, the gravelling over the formerly grassy picnic area at the Ta' Qali National Park has remained a hot topic as the area has not seen grass grow. The head of Ta' Qali's management, Jason Micallef, recently said that there hasn't been enough rainfall yet, and that it is expected to sprout closer to winter
Minister Dalli did not directly answer whether she believes any damage has been done by the gravel. Instead, she said that since she is "convinced that everything done was carried out with good intentions," everyone should "wait and see how it develops."
She referenced the recent comments of the head of the Ta' Qali park unit, Jason Micallef, and remarked that land that previously housed "an illegal factory" is now "a very nice project that many many people visit." Dalli distanced herself from this controversy, reminding that the Ta' Qali works do not fall under her remit.
Minister Dalli stated that all the works her Ministry carries out for parks and other kinds of open green areas look to retain and highlight the natural aspect of the area concerned. She added that as the Minister for the Environment, she wants to create more "open spaces where the environment is made a priority" around the country.
"In every project we do, we look to keep the natural aspect alive as much as possible," the Environment Minister said.
In this regard, she mentioned that, as announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela earlier this week, the government has committed itself to turn the White Rocks area in Pembroke into a natural park. Through abandoning the public concession to develop the now-abandoned area, it is hoped that this space can be renovated into a natural, open park. The Environment Minister noted that this area has the potential to become a park that attracts people from all across the country, and not just residents from and around Pembroke.