An ecological restoration project has been inaugurated at Għammar Hill, near the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary in Gozo, the Ministry for Gozo and the Ministry for European Funds said in a joint statement. This project, with a total value of one million euros, is co-financed by European funds.

"Within the first 100 days of the new legislature, we implemented the pledge to carry out the ecological restoration project on Għammar Hill. In agreement with the Curia's administration, the Ministry undertook a commitment regarding Church-owned land to regenerate an area that had fallen into a state of disrepair over the years, ultimately creating an open green space," Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said. 

"The success of European funds is measured not merely by the amount of funding we secure for Malta and Gozo, but by how we utilise those funds to address our country's needs and create lasting value. This project serves as a concrete example of how European funding assists us in protecting the landscape, safeguarding the environment, and preserving a vital part of the Maltese and Gozitan rural identity for future generations," European Funds Minister Keith Azzopardi Tanti said. 

Curia Administrative Secretary Anthony Bezzina explained that this collaboration between the government and the Church is fostering a more sustainable Gozo with a more resilient economy-in this instance, through investment in the tourism product for religious tourism-as well as a stronger society through more quality open spaces and a better-protected environment through investment in safeguarding the island's natural resources.

The interventions involved in this project included the reconstruction of approximately 1,700 cubic metres of dry-stone walls, soil regeneration to create a suitable environment for planting, the planting of around 1,000 endemic trees-to be followed by the planting of approximately 3,000 endemic shrubs-and various mechanical and electrical works, including the installation of an irrigation system to meet watering needs.