Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541063
PEMBROKE'S White Rocks complex will be turned into a national park, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Tuesday. During his Budget reply, Ab- ela announced that the gov- ernment will be recalling any public calls for development in the area and will instead make sure the land is turned into a national park. The White Rocks complex was once a vibrant military barracks later repurposed as a holiday complex for British servicement in the 1960s. It has since fallen into disrepair. Many redevelopment plans were proposed along the years. During the Gonzi ad- ministration before 2013, plans were drawn up for a lux- ury tourist village and sports complex. Later, the Muscat administration toyed with the idea of a village of luxury units. None of the plans ever materialised. In 2022, the former Nation- alist leader Bernard Grech pledged to designate White Rocks as ODZ if elected in- to government. Years prior, Marlene Farrugia proposed that White Rocks be turned into a national park. Howev- er, this is the first commit- ment by a government to turn the area into a national park. Abela also said that Manoel Island will be turned into a na- tional park, and that his gov- ernment has received a clear and written commitment that the planned development on the site will not happen. It was a rowdy night in par- liament as Abela delivered his Budget replica to the House. Nationalist MP Adrian De- lia was briefly kicked out of the chamber by the Speaker for repeatedly interrupting Abela's speech, having been warned twice prior over heck- ling. WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION €1.00 WEDNESDAY • 5 NOVEMBER 2025 • ISSUE 965 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY CONTINUES PAGE 2 Prime Minister Robert Abela says studies on mass transportation system in final stages as he delivers budget replica • Abela says best budget ever will be even better next year Foreign workers' average stay falls to three years, Central Bank report reveals MALTA'S economy continues to rely heavily on foreign labour, but a new Central Bank discussion paper warns that the country's growing dependence on transient workers could undermine long- term productivity and stability. "The results suggest that near- ly one-third of foreign workers leave Malta within their first year of engagement, and around half within three years," the pa- per notes. CONTINUES PAGE 4 The average length of stay for foreign workers across 2002–2023 is estimated at three years JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt White Rocks to be transformed into national park, Abela says Prime Minister Robert Abela (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt