Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538990
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 AUGUST 2025 INTERVIEW The following are excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be found on maltatoday.com.mt as well as our Facebook and Spotify pages. PHOTOS: JAMES BIANCHI / MALTA TODAY You've spoken against the construction of an elderly home just outside of Żabbar that was proposed to be built on ODZ land. We're seeing more and more mayors from the governing party speaking out against certain projects. First of all, why did you oppose this project. As a local council we are currently working on Dar Sagra Familja, which is an elderly home that is currently a children's home. Through talks with the Curia, there is a process where we will issue a call for interest to convert it into an old people's home. It's an existing building and will be extended into an elderly home. When you see this home with about 200 beds, and another application for an elderly home on ODZ land, one can compare the two. One is in the centre of the locality and the other is on about four acres that are still agricultural land with a capacity of less than half the beds of the first one. We know that for an elderly home to be viable, it needs to have more than 110 beds. When you see the number of beds in this project is about 92, it gives us reason to object to it. Like every locality, the last 10 years have seen a con- struction boom that was felt in every locality. Has Żabbar changed? Our locality has seen a big jump in residents; we had almost 14,000 residents and now we have around 18,000 and 19,000, depending on the time of year. We've seen a change in the number of foreigners who have come to live here, although the number is not as high as it is in other localities. Building and construction have played an important role. One of the factors was that the UCA, through government schemes, saw a number of empty homes being occupied by young couples and quality foreigners… We've also had a number of developments that the local council objected to… one project was meant to be constructed next to Zabbar's cemetery. They wanted to build a block of flats, but now, after we've won our case in the Planning Authority, the land will be used for the cemetery… Do you think there is still the risk that certain pro- jects diminish the character of your locality? One hundred per cent. There is positive development and negative development. It depends on which architect is designing the project. You have some architects who expect to design a UCA with extensive structures that are modern and change the place's characteristics. Every project is subject to discussion. You cannot just draw a line and say "this is good and this is bad." Everything must be discussed, and only then can you achieve balance. Another project that will affect Żabbar is the road that starts from Bieb is-Sultan and leads to the Capuchin Monastery in Kalkara. Some have said that the road is pointless and is only being constructed due to con- tractual obligations [with Smart City]. Do you agree with this? We've sat down with the Kalkara Local Council and authorities to discuss the project. We've put forward our proposals and have agreed that the road is necessary. But the way that the project has been presented by authorities was very bad. A two-kilometre road was described as "a new road"; it's not the case. From 2,000 metres, 100 metres will be taken from agricultural land. The rest is already open; not only that, it will be improved. There will be more trees, cycle lanes, and more secure roads. Right now, that area is laden with illegal dumping as it is dilapidated… Part of this area is being used as a scrapyard, others include abandoned huts, a dairy farm which is right next to St James' Gate and St Louis' Gate… These are all abandoned places that have huge potential. It's like having the Mdina Ditch still dilapidated… Every mayor I speak to seems to feel that their only job is to hear residents' complaints but cannot do anything about it because they have fewer powers now. Do you feel the same way? There are problems all the time. I don't think people truly know or appreciate what the mayor's role is. Some think that mayors work on a full-time basis, but they don't. Our job has no work hours. The challenges are significant. You are only as responsible for the works that happen in your locality as you are assertive in your role as mayor. If you are assertive enough in your stance that the local council shouldn't be overlooked, some entities and individuals start to communicate more with you… Something that is constant- ly raised on social media is the problem of waste being thrown away everywhere, haphazardly. We're talking about piles of garbage in some areas. Last year you asked ERA to act against these illegalities. Did they? …The garbage problem has become the breakfast, lunch and dinner for every mayor nowadays. If you ask me whether I agree with the garbage collection system, bring-in site system, and the BCRS; no, I'm not satisfied. We can surely do better. […] When we asked for the number of fines that were issued in a year related to bring-in sites, I wasn't satisfied with the number of tickets issued. Even if I stand there for a few hours, I'll catch more people.