Crucial budget for heritage and environment - FAA

Tomorrow’s budget was a crucial one for heritage and the environment, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) said.

The organisation said that with national monuments like Forts St. Elmo and Angelo in an advanced state of deterioration, funding for the restoration of national heritage and scrupulous governance of available EU funding was a priority.

It called on the government to finally activate the Heritage Trust, intended to provide restoration grants to owners of listed buildings or buildings situated in a conservation area.

FAA said that as Malta’s obligations to start producing alternative energy could no longer be postponed, there should be realistic incentives to encourage a more widespread use of alternative energy equipment by the domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial sectors.

Initiatives were also required to assist the implementation of energy efficiency measures in buildings, such as double-glazing and insulation, as well as the construction of rainwater cisterns for all buildings.

On the rampant illegal extraction of water, FAA said that while the registration exercise was a step in the right direction, it had to be followed up by direct and immediate action, such as the metering of registered boreholes.

Investment was urgently required to provide treated sewage effluent and storm water to replace groundwater use by agriculture and industry.

FAA said the subsidy on electricity consumed by the Water Services Corporation should be removed. It argued that a nation-wide educational campaign on energy and water savings in all sectors would help curb consumption.