Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518643
12 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 APRIL 2024 Transport Malta is notifying the general public of the sale tale quale of the vessel Pathfinder currently moored at Sliema Creek, Port of Marsamxett. The specifications of the vessel are shown below. SALE OF VESSEL - PATHFINDER Type of Ship: Pleasure Yacht Propulsion: Motor Material: Material: Wood Length overall: 24.60m Breadth: 7.50m Depth: 3.20m Gross Tonnage: 94.46 Year of Build: 1960 Two main engines Type: Type: Propulsion Make: General Motors (Detriot) Power: 550 hp / 410.30 Kw No. of Cylinders: 8 Fuel type: Diesel The vessel may be viewed at the above-mentioned site The vessel may be viewed at the above-mentioned site on Tuesday 9 th April 2024 at 10:00am. Those Interested in viewing the vessel are required to call on telephone number 25554423 or send an email on response.tm@transport.gov.mt by not later than Monday 8 th April 2024 at 10:00am so that the necessary viewing arrangements can be made. Quotations are to be sent by email on Quotations are to be sent by email on quotationsgeneral@transport.gov.mt by not later than Friday 12 th April 2024. Those interested in submitting a bid are to obtain a Those interested in submitting a bid are to obtain a bidding form on the date of the viewing or download such from the following link: https://www.transport.gov.mt/Bidding-Form-PAT HFINDER.docx-f9603. The bidding form will include all the relevant details for making a submission. The preferred bidder will be required to make the The preferred bidder will be required to make the necessary arrangements to take over and transfer the vessel from the site within one week following confirmation of the offer. Any and all expenses shall be borne by the preferred bidder. The Authority is not stating or otherwise confirming that The Authority is not stating or otherwise confirming that this vessel will be registered with any one of its national maritime registers. Registration and related issues, required documentation and applicable expenses shall be at the sole responsibility of the preferred bidder. THE owners of the Birguma quarry just 30m off the Grade 1 listed Victoria Lines, want a 4,900 square metre extension to the eyesore on Triq John Ayden. Developer Anthony Ciappara says extend- ing the quarry will yield an additional 220,000 cubic meters of lower coralline limestone (żonqor) which he claims can reduce the car- bon footprint of the building industry which is now increasingly dependent on imported effluent. The owners hinted at plans to rehabilitate the quarry in "multiple stages" following the exhaustion of the mineral resources. The Environment and Resources Author- ity said in February that the impacts of the development are unlikely to be significant or necessitating an Environment Impact Assess- ment. Instead, ERA has requested a Restora- tion Method Statement which should include a timeframe for the eventual backfilling of the older parts of the quarry and the proposed ex- tension. The report also must show how the quarry owners intend to reinstate the original char- acteristics of the area and explore "after-uses such as solar energy and/or afforestation". Subsequently ERA will issue conditions for both the quarry expansion and the restoration of the entire quarry once it is exhausted. SCH softens initial opposition In January 2023, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage sounded the alarm at the application, noting that the quarry is just three metres from a World War II military battery and 30m from the Victorial Lines, which en- joy the highest level of protection. The Superintendence noted that the pro- posed extension will "involve the removal of substantial parts of the bedrock that charac- terises this cultural landscape, further impact- ing the perception of the Victoria Lines and other military features within an area specifi- cally scheduled to ensure their safeguard." But in March 2023 the watchdog softened its stance. While reiterating its concern with regards to the extension of the quarry "within such a sensitive area… characterised by nu- merous cultural heritage features," the SCH welcomed plans to rehabilitate the site fol- lowing the exhaustion of the quarries. "The Superintendence would be favourable to the restoration of this site following the end of quarrying activity on site." The SCH also asked for the projected time- frames for the exhaustion of quarry and its re- habilitation. Any eventual clearance from the Superintendence will be subject to a condition "for the conjoined rehabilitation of both quar- ries" and accompanied by a "suitable Bank Guarantee to ensure this aim." Developer promises lower carbon footprint The quarry expansion will involve excavat- ing the western terrain adjacent to the cur- rent quarry, reaching depths equivalent to the existing quarry, specifically up to 50m above Mean Sea Level. Following the depletion of the hardstone quarry, a comprehensive rehabilitation plan will be implemented in multiple phases, in- volving backfilling with suitable material and site restoration. The developer's consultants AIS claim the material extracted from the site will provide an alternative to imported foreign aggregate used in concrete mixtures. "The importation of such material has led to increased construc- tion costs and higher carbon emissions." The extension will cover two adjacent are- as: a 2,615sq.m pristine garigue area current- ly designated as a Strategic Open Gap where no development is normally allowed and a 2,922sq.m area which was already excavated in the past and was subsequently backfilled. The report recognises that the project will have a "moderate adverse impact" on the ecology of the area particularly on garigue habitats. But the report claims the impact on the nearby historical monuments as "negligible" because the quarry is "positioned at a signifi- cant distance from these features, posing min- imal risks". The report however considers the social im- pact of the development as a major adverse one since the extension will bring the quarry- ing activity closer to the residential area of Bir- guma, resulting in "heightened deposition of dust, increased levels of noise and vibrations, and a notable decrease in the overall visual amenity of the surroundings." But the eventual rehabilitation of the site and the adjacent quarry "may lead to various social and environmental benefits in the area." JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Birguma quarry to gobble up more garigue Developers claim larger quarry reduces building industry's carbon footprint by lowering import of aggregate stone