Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1024340
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWS era.org.mt Environment & Resources Authority Hexagon House, Spencer Hill, Marsa. CAREER OPPORTUNITY The Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) is seeking to employ specialized officers to join a growing team. Interested applicants must possess interpersonal, communica on and me management skills and be able to work within a team. All these posi ons require a Bachelor's Degree [MQF Level 6] with a minimum of 180 ECTS or alterna vely a Master's Degree [MQF Level 7] with a minimum of 90 ECTS in a relevant subject. Team Manager (Interna onal Affairs) Jobs Plus Permit No. 467/2018 This Authority is recrui ng a Team Manager to be responsible on issues per nent to interna onal affairs, including the effec ve and efficient assessment of applicable na onal, EU and interna onal laws relevant to ERA, related Authority policies and approved business plans and budgets, and act as a point of reference on EU and interna onal legisla on within the Authority. Team Manager (Opera ons) Jobs Plus Permit No. 468/2018 This Authority is looking for an experienced and highly energe c candidate to fill the posi on of Team Manager Opera ons, who will be responsible to oversee and lead both the Procurement and the Project Implementa on processes. These processes are crucial and provide extensive contribu on towards the overall targets of the Authority. Senior Officer (PR & Communica ons) Jobs Plus Permit No. 615/2017 This Authority is recrui ng a Senior Officer PR & Communica ons to maintain and enhance the reputa on of the Authority in the media. This exci ng role would suit a dynamic personality who will act as a spokesperson for the Authority and who will keep up to date with stories concerning the environment in the media. The ideal candidate will also develop, implement and monitor the effec veness of PR and Communica on Strategies, Plans and Reports, in line with the aims and objec ves of the Authority. Assistant Officer (Administra on) Jobs Plus Permit No. 470/2018 This Authority is recrui ng two (2) Assistant Officers Administra on who will be responsible to support their superiors in various Administra ve du es, mainly Procurement and/or Project Implementa on. Du es will include the ensuring that opera ons are carried out effec vely and efficiently in accordance with any applicable policies and business plans. Candidates are required to be able to communicate effec vely both verbally and in wri ng in both Maltese and English. Experience in procurement and administra on will be considered as an asset. For further informa on, including qualifica ons, experience and job descrip on visit the careers page on our website: h p://era.org.mt/en/Pages/Current-Vacancies.aspx Interested candidates are advised to submit their applica on, together with a detailed curriculum vitae, by Noon of 24th September 2018 (CET) to the a en on of Human Resources, quo ng the respec ve posi on and Jobs Plus permit number via email on: vacancies.era@era.org.mt JAMES DEBONO THE Environment and Resources Authority wants the proposed de- velopment of a Lidl supermarket in Zebbug to stick to the development zones and avoid sprawling into the undeveloped fields in the area. The supermarket will be developed on the SMW Cortis site in the cor- ner between Attard road and Mdina road. But the ERA has warned the super- market will take "a substantial part of the remaining undeveloped fields in the area". The supermarket will be developed by Central Business Centres plc, a company owned by Joseph Cor- tis, instead of the present industrial building. The development will also include a surface carpark and under- lying commercial development. The location is partly zoned as an 'area of containment' – an area meant to contain industrial developments located outside development zones (ODZ), meant to avoid their sprawl in the surrounding countryside. But as proposed the supermarket will extend into the surrounding ODZ to create parking spaces and provide road access. The ERA says this will result in ur- ban sprawl and the "formalisation" of the remaining rural land into the lo- cation, and has asked the developers to limit their plans to the designated area of containment, and rehabilitate the ODZ land which is presently de- graded. The area includes agricultural fields in the surrounding area on the north and east of the site along Mdina road. A protected windmill is located in the vicinity of the site. A permit issued in 2014 for a new SMW Cortis premises had specified that the area should only be used for "storage and distribution purposes", limiting a proposed retail shop to 58 sq.m on ground floor level. The PA received a number of objec- tions from concerned citizens, some of which describing the development of yet another Lidl as completely unnecessary. "We are besieged by them no matter which area you leave Mdina Road from … you find them in Luqa, Qormi, Mosta, Santa Venera and Safi… all of which are a stone's throw away," one resident said in their objection. Lidl has already opened two ODZ stores in Luqa and Safi. Other Lidl stores are situated in Sta Venera, San Gwann, Zejtun, Mosta, Qormi, and in Xewkija, a small part of which is also outside the development zones. Another supermarket is planned for Fgura. New Lidl in Zebbug risks urban sprawl JAMES DEBONO FARMERS will be able to retrieve "new water" produced at sewage treatment plants from newly-in- stalled water dispensers installed at a distance of 100 metres from each other. In Mellieha, the visually un- obtrusive water dispensers will be installed in the Pwales valley, Bingemma and Tal-Prajjet. Demand for new water has been soaring since farmers were of- fered a quota of 'free' water from the polishing plants at Malta's sewage treatment plants, as an alternative to the increasingly sa- line and depleted ground water. But presently farmers have to collect the water themselves: the new project will make it easier for them to retrieve their quota by using an electronic card, in a bid to discourage wasteful practices. The dispensers will be installed at 100m intervals along a 17km network of trenches, carried through 150mm-diameter pipes that will deliver the new water from the Cumnija sewage treat- ment plant in Mellieha. The design of the metre-high dispensers has been kept simple, with the dispensing points in- stalled over subsumed concrete blocks. No soil will be removed with trenching works carried out in existing roads and paths. "A lot of effort was made to keep the size of the dispenser compact while having enough space to hide all the instruments required for me- tering and data transmission," a spokesperson for the Water Ser- vices Corporation explained. Reclaimed water is produced in three polishing plants built by the Water Services Corporation be- tween 2007 and 2013. Initially the water was dumped at sea as pol- ishing the water was deemed too expensive by former infrastruc- ture minister Austin Gatt. But investment in further treatment and polishing now makes it pos- sible to use this water to irrigate agricultural land. The major treatment plant is at Ta' Barkat in Xghajra, which is producing 9,600 cubic metres per day. The Cumnija plant and the one at Ras il-Hobz in Gozo have a daily capacity of 6,400cb.m and 3,200cb.m, respectively. Farmers get 'new water' with electronic cards Water dispensers are set to become a welcome addition to the rural landscape