Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1524836
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 AUGUST 2024 THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION By CLAYTON BARTOLO Minister for Tourism and Public Cleanliness Mark Twain, one of the greatest American writers, once quipped: "The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it's that they know so many things that just aren't so." Għadira, is the most precious jewel in the crown of Malta's beaches and coastal areas. It spans the length of eight football pitches, and it stretch- es out for fifty meters of ankle-deep water. Proudly flying its Blue Flag status, the bay showcases monitored best practices in environmental management, sustainability, water quality, safety, and a suite of other services. Twain's maxim takes me straight to two negative public perceptions of Għadira Bay today. Going by them, it has been colonised by commercial interests, particularly the rental of sunbeds and food outlets, and sec- ondly that upkeep and administra- tion are way below par. Is this true? Allow me to turn to the facts, starting with the most basic one. Contrary to perceptions, the areas al- lotted to sunbed operators, amounts to just 30% of the entire sandy beach. Fact: that translates to the equivalent almost six football pitches of Għadira's beach available to the public. For free. Moving on, after two decades of neglect, the pedestrian passages leading to the beach have been reconstructed and merged with the existing promenade. A new railing, integrated lighting, street furniture, hoist chairs, beach buggies, waste separation bins and more now complement Għadira's charm and its now unrivalled accessibility. Safety is equally at the centre of our policy drive.Fully equipped lifeguards keep watch over the bay, and operate a first-aid clinic. In addition, in the summer months, the Malta Tourism Authority employs beach supervisors to raise and main- tain quality standards. On weekends, our staff also works closely with LESA to improve law enforcement of parking laws and transportation regulations. Commercially, Għadira features lidos, restaurants, hotels and kiosks. Coordinating and regulating their overlapping services and footprints is not easy. Yet we have been making steady headway. Today, lidos pro- vide various services, including the rental of sunbeds and umbrellas. In 2013, the Government had taken the inititiative to sign 15-year leases with the operators on condition that they rebuild their kiosk to new stand- ards and those that rented sunbeds where restricted to a specifically designated area without gaining any property-rights. In addition, these spaces are con- trolled and monitored by the MTA on behalf of the Lands Authority. Fur- thermore, operators are also obliged to contribute to the MTA's huge management, safety and monitoring cost to implement these agreements. A similar regime is applied to lidos renting sunbeds. Once again, the overall objective is to free up as much public space as possible. The size of the area earmarked for sunbeds is always a contentious issue. Yet even here, perceptions are not aligned with the facts. Each year, MTA carries out a land survey that provides an indication of the global size of sandy beach and thereby determine the size of the various designated areas. Once this survey is completed, the MTA marks the areas with bollards to prevent abuse. Significantly, and again contrary to perceptions, since 2013, the foot- print of these designated areas has actually both decreased in size and receded further from the water-line to allow for a wider public corridor on the foreshore. Whilst MTA supervisors take note of the operators' daily requirements, its enforcement officials conduct regular and thorough inspections throughout the summer season to ensure compliance with regulations. What I have presented here are facts, not opinions. They don't mean that everything works perfectly. Clearly, we need to keep improving our procedures and oversight. But the facts do suggest that the negative perception of Għadira does not tally with the facts. Mark Twain and Għadira Bay Contrary to perceptions, the areas allotted to sunbed operators, amounts to just 30% of the entire sandy beach. Fact: that translates to the equivalent almost six football pitches of Għadira's beach available to the public. For free.