MTA embellishing Wied iz-Zurrieq
The Malta Tourism Authority has started work on the embellishment of Wied Iz-Zurrieq, which is popular among divers and tourists taking boats to the Blue Grotto.
The €90,000 project will include the resurfacing of the quay with coloured concrete, replacement of the stone benches along the quay, the building of a shelter for those waiting for the boats, improvements to the slipway and the access ramp, new hand rails and divers’ ladders, new buoys, rehabilitation of the boat house, a general clean-up of the rocky shore and the erection of new signage.
Qrendi local council is contributing €11,000 for the works.
The MTA explained that the work could not be taken in hand earlier because of the weather.
Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco, who visited the site, said this was another example of investment in the tourist product.
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v.pulis
May 21st 2009, 16:38
Why not spend the sum on ta' Qali crafts village the biggeast showcase of Maltese craftsmanship on the island?
vince agius
May 21st 2009, 13:42
u jaghmel il-maltemp kif jaf jaghmel wied iz zurrieq u bye bye 90000 ewro...meta ser nitghallmu????????
Sandro Agius
May 21st 2009, 06:58
A question...does the Goverment has the money to make €90,000 for the sake of tourism industry and than the goverment don't have the money to make a €20,000 for Maltese residents @ Achille Ferris Street in Zebbug?
When calling we received various answers like; we have no money, the road is not yet developed (sort of the citizens are third world people), it not our business etc.
n camilleri
May 21st 2009, 06:45
NO!!!! why are they doing this?!!! It's just beautiful the way it is with all it's un levelled surface and rocks........ tourists love it the way it is!!! who wants to see a newly paved 'wied iz-zurrieq' anyway?? WHAT A PITY???!!!! Why dont they spend money elsewhere and leave places like that untouched?? I simply do not understand !!!!! This photo brings sadness and tears to all us Maltese who love wied iz-zurrieq as it is!!!!
s.sammut
May 21st 2009, 06:44
and how about a stand alone temporory pontoon just outside the Wied for berthing boats, and leave the Wied for bathers unless we are waiting for some tragic fatal accident to occur. and while you're at it, any attempt at curbing the jelly fish infestation?? MTA persists to do it its own way, no consultation whatsoever with the directly involved parts. I would have preferred the pristine quay rather than the artificially coloured one on the way. but who am I? a petty trivial citizen who is only consulted on election day?
Joe Fenech
May 20th 2009, 22:21
WHy are they destroying the natural rock formations?
COncrete???
We've lost it completely in this country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christopher Borg
May 20th 2009, 08:10
Wow...impressive!!! this will surely attract more tourism...and serve as an inspiration to law abiding folk. Question: was the diving industry consulted? was the public consulted? DID MTA BOTHER OBTAINING A MEPA PERMIT ???
Saviour Sam Agius
May 20th 2009, 02:43
How about having concrete paving covered in pebbles? It should be able to withstand the fierce force of the waves and at the same time it'll be pleasing to the eye.
v.pulis
May 19th 2009, 20:59
What's wrong with coloured concrete?! all malta is covered in it or those ugly paving slabs which seem to be in fashion with all local councils no matter where they are. In fact if Wied iz-zurrieq will indeed seem the odd one out if it is covered with anything but coloured concrete.
While we're at it why not smoothen out that ugly natural rock and cover it with nce bathroom tiles?!
Joseph Schembri
May 19th 2009, 20:28
'Coloured Concrete' ... what can one say? :-(
Elizabeth GRECH
May 19th 2009, 19:26
This is once more the art of the Maltese government ruining a beautiful untouched autenthic place. The real tourists, those who appreciate the natural views will be disgusted as I am.
C Agius
May 19th 2009, 18:24
What a shame!!!!
I just can't beleive they come up with these ideas....COLOURED CONCRETE....To make things worse , they left the "Project" tp be completed during THE PEAK SEASON......
This is disinvestment and not investment.........Why do we love concrete so much????
J. Schembri
May 19th 2009, 18:17
It's got to be concrete , has anyone seen this place in a force 8 storm?
May I remind the project managers to avoid the formation of puddles on the new concrete. There is no need for the ladders to have more than five steps below sea level , somehow all the ladders I see have steps for the full four metres below sea level.
Divers deserve to have a better treatment.
c.caruana
May 19th 2009, 17:20
ABOUT TIME!!!! But coloured concrete????!!! i hope it will not last years till the end of the referbishment!!
doris schembri
May 19th 2009, 17:18
well and good - looks like a gr8 project but what about valletta road zurrieq and blue grotto avenue road maintenance? the roads lead to wied iz-zurrieq and are a disaster!!!!part of the road leading to hagar qim and ghar lapsi is also a disaster despite parts of it having been resurfaced, other parts remain full of potholes too......the roads should be improved to attract more tourists to this area.
Vicky Grech
May 19th 2009, 16:37
I concur, why concrete? i pity the maltese authorities who have no idea what embellishing the environment means, much less protecting the environment! why don't they throw in some asbestos while they're at it as well?
Paul busuttil
May 19th 2009, 16:28
Very welcomed works being carried out at a place frequented by hundreds of people, both sightseers and Scuba divers alike.
Must we complain even about something positive like this....It seems there is little work needed to make the place that little more attractive.
t kerr
May 19th 2009, 16:26
Coloured Concrete?!
This is a beautiful spot - I trust the architect commissioned created a sympathetic and well considered design, this should be the last place for the 'Disney Land' effect....
J Barnes
May 19th 2009, 15:55
With summer fast aproaching, where are the workers in the photograph, machinery and evidence that work has started but no action!
S Ferrito
May 19th 2009, 15:50
Whilst the face lift is badly need, I agree with others here, that concrete, especially coloured....will not be aesthetically compatible with the surrounding environment!
anton schembri
May 19th 2009, 15:49
I like natural habitats but this is not a question of ruining the locaility's natural habitat.
The works carried out only consists of an embellishment of areas which are already built up.
Reuben Sciberras
May 19th 2009, 14:45
This embellishment has been awaiting for so long. But better late than never! Hope that the government keeps also its promises done before the last general election to do the remaining part of Qrendi Rd Zurrieq which is in such a terrible state. Both Zurrieq and Qrendi residents were promised that the road would be completed soon after election is over. More than a year passed and it's still ruining our cars
a. sciberras
May 19th 2009, 14:37
why concrete?
Justin Borg
May 19th 2009, 14:33
Better invest those money to build the road leading to wied iz zurrieq after all plenty of tourists use that road.
Joseph E Briffa
May 19th 2009, 14:29
Please RETHINK....don't use coloured concrete... You will ruin everything...leave things in their natural colours. May I ask what is this craze about coloured -red? - concrete? If you have to use concret for centre strips, use green NOT red...if you have to paint benches again use GREEN, or leave the natural wood. We need green..we live in an arid island...so more and more trees which provide shade ..bushes are not enough, a 3 meter tree is not good enough, what we need are 6m trees at least which spread out their branches to form awnings, not straight trees like cypresses. Ficus benjamina is the answer, look at Floriana by the Mall, look at Msida valley. They provide shade from the fierce sun we have for 7 months of the year, they attract the rain. GREEN is a restful colour, RED is a disturbing colour. This is elementary!!!!
Dean Adam Mifsud
May 19th 2009, 14:28
It is about time that the Malta Tourism Authority has started to do some embellishment work-s around our beaches and promenades as some of the promenades are in a terrible state
of neglect,especially when walking on the footpaths of the promenades with all the holes.Ke-ep up the good work Malta Tourism Authority!!!!
PMifsud
May 19th 2009, 14:24
What a disgrace. The natural environment should be left undistured. Why not use wooden boards or other temporary surfacing material thus preserving the natural environment?
Mariella Prosperi
May 19th 2009, 14:14
If still in time, please avoid the use of coloured concrete. I fully agree with the opinion of other readers - i.e. to leave the habitat as natural as possible! The coloured concrete will jar badly with those splendid surroundings.
Maureen Ehlinger
May 19th 2009, 14:08
May I please suggest to the MTA while they are set at refurbishing the quay etc. could they look into the provision of life jackets & minimum safety measurements for tourists & all boarding the boats. These were not available at least some 3 years ago; not sure if in place now.
John Cachia
May 19th 2009, 14:07
This cooperation between the Qrendi Local Council and the MTA for this project is to be commended. But the coloured concrete part should be omitted.
Qrendi and wied iz-zurrieq in particular should be enhanced with works using materials which compliment their idyllic landscape.
K Caruana
May 19th 2009, 14:00
Try to avoid concrete (this is not simply a matter of colour)...wherever possible...please think carefully of the visual appeal of what is being proposed.
Eugenio Cutajar
May 19th 2009, 13:14
At long last something is being done for this favorite bathing place of the people of Qrendi and Zurrieq. I wish to thank and congratulate all those concerned for their initiative and commitment. Now it is up to those who frequent this popular rocky beach to keep it clean and in good order.
R. Azzopardi
May 19th 2009, 13:11
Lovely!! A much-needed facelift. The MTA made an excellent job of putting up proper signs for divers to follow at all known dive sites in Gozo. May I suggest that the same is done in Malta. Wied iz-Zurrieq is an excellent place to start. It would also be a good idea to install some high and low tables for divers to kit up on. These have been installed at Xatt l-ahmar in Gozo and are very welcome indeed.
One last thing. Is wied iz-zurrieq accessible to divers at the moment?
r ferriggi
May 19th 2009, 13:09
firstly ,,,,,COLORED CONCRETE,,,,,,,,, in wied iz zurrieq????? U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.
can we have the name of this genius planner?!?!?
secondly,, prosit for thinking about the divers and the diving industry.
about time.
Emanuel Muscat
May 19th 2009, 12:59
I hope that this is the first part of a whole project in Wied iz-Zurrieq limits of Qrendi by the government, because there are other places in this area which need attention such as the car park which needs to be extended.
J.Borg
May 19th 2009, 12:48
"The €90,000 project will include the resurfacing of the quay with coloured concrete...."
why do we have to use coloured concrete....why don't you leave the place as natural as possible......why do we have things out of tis world in malta....changing the natural habitat....