Din l-Art Ħelwa on Wednesday expressed its profound disappointment at news that the historic Qbajjar Battery in Gozo, a Grade 1 scheduled monument of national importance is to be commercialised together with the adjacent salt pans and nearby land.

"This historic fortification, built for the defence of our islands, should not be sold off for profit," said Patrick Calleja, Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa. "It belongs to the Maltese and Gozitan people and its restoration and preservation should serve cultural, educational and community purposes - not private commercial gain."

Din l-Art Ħelwa has been campaigning for over twenty years for the restoration and proper care of Qbajjar Battery under a guardianship deed, a legal mechanism established under the Cultural Heritage Act that allows NGOs to restore and manage heritage sites for public benefit.

The organisation was first promised guardianship of the Battery in 2007, and again in 2021 when the then Minister for Culture, Dr José Herrera, authorised the process to begin formally. DLĦ subsequently submitted all required documentation to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, including a comprehensive restoration proposal and feasibility study.

Despite this, progress has been repeatedly obstructed, with the Lands Authority failing to release the site for guardianship. DLĦ has continued to highlight the Battery's state of decay, describing it as "a monument at risk of total loss" after years of neglect and exposure to the elements. The organisation has also collaborated with the Żebbuġ Local Council and the National Trust (UK) to develop plans for the Battery's conservation and community use - a vision now jeopardised by the proposed commercialisation. "Din l-Art Ħelwa has no interest in profit," said Calleja.

"Our only aim is to safeguard and open this historic site to the public and future generations. This Grade 1 monument has undergone enough savagery during its previous bout as a commercial establishment and can ill afford any further interventions that do not lend themselves to its own well-being."

DLĦ is urging the Minister for Lands and Cultural Heritage to reconsider this decision and direct the Lands Authority to release the property so that it may finally be restored and managed under a guardianship deed for the benefit of the nation