The Nationalist Party on Tuesday on Tuesday expressed its full solidarity with all those who have been, and continue to be, affected by the situation in Santa Venera, as well as with anyone directly or indirectly impacted by similar incidents.
At the same time, the Partit Nazzjonalista thanks the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), architects, engineers, all professionals and technical personnel who intervened promptly, with dedication and a strong sense of responsibility. Their response and work were crucial in safeguarding lives and maintaining safety during moments of tension and uncertainty.
This incident once again highlights the importance of strengthening prevention and scientific knowledge about what is happening beneath our feet. It is for this reason that the Partit Nazzjonalista reiterates the need for Malta to establish a National Geological Office responsible for collecting and maintaining national geological data, creating a centralised subsoil database, analysing risks linked to excavation and foundations, providing technical guidance to authorities and professionals, and contributing to safer and more sustainable planning and construction.
Such an office would not only represent an investment in health and safety, but also a prudent investment that helps prevent and reduce long-term damage and costs, increases certainty for investors and third parties, and improves overall project quality. With stronger scientific knowledge and coordination, our country can move towards more responsible development, better planning and higher standards in project design and execution - particularly in a context of urban densification and increasingly intensive excavation.
A country with construction intensity as high as ours cannot continue without a national scientific infrastructure that understands, monitors and guides the use of its subsoil. This is an essential foundation for shifting from a system that reacts after problems arise to one that prevents them before they occur.
The PN said it continues to insist on the need for Malta to adopt a Single Construction Law - one integrated, preventive legal framework regulating construction throughout its entire lifecycle. Within such a framework, geology and scientific data would not be an optional add-on, but a fundamental part of decision-making before works begin on site.
The establishment of a National Geological Office should therefore be a key pillar of a modern construction governance system - one based on prevention rather than reaction, on clarity and accountability rather than fragmentation, and above all on the public interest and people's safety.
The Partit Nazzjonalista will continue to put forward important tools to better protect lives and to build a safer and more sustainable future for all.