Architecture & Design

18 | Architecture & Design THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: CAN YOU START BY SHARING YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATED GOVERNMENT PLANNING DEPARTMENTS DURING THIS LEGISLATURE? Firstly, I believe it important to emphasise the fact that Malta has enjoyed significant — and, crucially, robust — economic growth, largely due to the contributions of the construction industry. Of course, like any economic sector, there remains room for improvement, but the successes of the construction industry in Malta should not be underestimated. Regarding improvements in this area of economic activity, it is my belief that these should focus on improving standards and continuing to promote good governance and adherence to the existing regulatory framework, aims clearly defined by the government in its recent electoral manifesto. The ability to change and adapt to new challenges is something vitally important for any government, and something I believe to have been consistently demonstrated throughout its time in office. In the recent election, voters clearly showed their confidence in this government to introduce important reforms in the construction industry, including timelines for construction projects, enhanced building codes — with special attention paid to standards in excavation and demolition — and new guidelines for improved energy efficiency, including through increased utilising of renewable energy systems for new constructions. While attempting to strike a sensible balance between economic and community needs, this government recognises the need for important discussions regarding Outside Development Zone (ODZ) buildings and Urban Conservation Areas (UCA). In particular, we are committed to making UCA zones permanent and unchanging features of our planning landscape — except for possible extension — and taking the key step of introducing buffer zones between UCA and standard zones. These measures, alongside our plans to introduce a new skyline policy for high-rise developments and increased focus on decarbonisation for new permits, reflect our commitment towards safeguarding our national heritage for future generations. HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malta's construction industry has demonstrated considerable resilience and reliability during the last two years, as well as having contributed considerably to the country's national gross domestic product (GDP). Due to the government's successful handling of this emergency, we have managed to keep many key areas of economic activity viable and successful, in what is arguably a very challenging global environment at this time. The recent pandemic has had profound impacts on the socio-economic landscape, and we will continue to adapt to this changing situation as we work towards our goals of further developing this industry — in particular, by supporting those actors who demonstrate innovative and creative approaches towards both our communities and the environment. It should be noted that Malta's construction industry directly employs hundreds of workers, with thousands more employed indirectly. When considering this key driver of employment in our country, therefore, it is important to adopt a balanced approach with regard to regulatory and legislative decisions. DO YOU BELIEVE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY'S PROVEN RESILIENCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE? I do. Despite the challenges this industry faces, I do not see any reason as to why this resilience will not persist further into the future. However, I do believe W e m e e t u p w i t h S t e f a n Z r i n z o A z z o p a r d i , M i n i s t e r f o r P u b l i c W o r k s a n d P l a n n i n g , w h o s h a r e s h i s v i e w s o n t h e c u r r e n t c o n s t r u c t i o n i n d u s t r y i n c l u d i n g h i s p r i o r i t i e s , t h e p l a n t o i n t r o d u c e a n e w s k y l i n e p o l i c y f o r h i g h - r i s e d e v e l o p m e n t s a n d h o w h e e n v i s i o n s t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s i n t h e i n d u s t r y o v e r t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING

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