Family park taking shape
Landscaping work at the Marsascala park. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
The Sant’Antnin recycling plant is still not producing enough electricity for the government to fulfil its pledge and give Marsascala residents lower utility bills.
The pledge was made some years ago when the controversial plant was inaugurated as a means to compensate residents for the inconvenience caused by the facility.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the lower utility bills schemes would be announced in due course when the recycling facility produced the desired level of electricity from waste. He did not give a date.
Heat generated by the facility will soon be used to warm up the indoor pool of a nearby facility for the disabled run by Inspire.
Dr Gonzi was speaking after touring works at the family park next to the recycling facility. According to Resources Minister George Pullicino, works at the park are expected to finish by year’s end.
The park is about 50,000 square metres, the size of 21 football pitches. It will have 2,000 trees, an equestrian area and a traditional Maltese farm with a petting area. A 450-seat Greek theatre will offer a views of the whole park, which also includes a maze and a rock-climbing area.
Mr Pullicino said a water course was reconstructed around the park and would eventually feed the Magħluq water course further down.
The area where the park is situated was a rubbish dump in the 1970s and was the place where the carcasses of animals had been burnt during the foot and mouth disease crisis.
The site had been rendered safe and the problems created by the dump were in no way comparable to those at Magħtab, Mr Pullicino said.
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Francesca Abela
Jun 23rd 2012, 13:13
Another pre election gimmick, this park was first mentioned prior to the council elections of 2006 to win some votes for the PN councillors. My mother is still prayimg that she benefits from the free energy or lower utility bills before she passes away! Meanwhile Marsascala children have no basic football or basketball courts to play their sports in and Marsascala residents are still suffering the after effects of Austin Gatt's cock ups with the public transport system in the locality.
C Debono
Jun 23rd 2012, 05:26
I bet the Prim Minister pulled Pullicino’s ears scolding him about the state of the rats Sant’Antnin recycling plant, emitting terrible smells. Gonzi should know for he lives right on top of it and to play the hero he put himself as a guinea pig why Marsascala residents should be thankful for transforming a protected valley into a factory of waste. Gonzi must have said to Pullicino to stop deceiving the residents of Marsascala and pay the €2.3M penalty for not finishing the family park within 5 years of the plants permit being a planning gain, one of the conditions, for having another obnoxious industry in the south of Malta. Pullicino is another Minister that performed badly and never kept up his promises. For the rest of the unknown duration of this government he should be striped off his role as Minister and instead promote JPO. GonziPN kollox hu possibbli…………..
F. Formosa
Jun 22nd 2012, 16:12
Gonzi mhijux jimxi l-istess mal-Membri Parlamentari tieghu u ghalhekk inqala’ dan id-dizgwid kollu. Niehdu l-kaz tal-Ministru Pullicino meta gie kkundannat li kiser id-Drittijiet Fudamentali tar-Residenti ta’ Marsaskala u mhux biss anke tal-Konvenzjoni Ewropea, x’ghamel Gonzi? Xejn, hallieh jokkupa l-post ta’ Ministru anzi ddefendieh meta kellu jgeghlu jaghti r-rizenja tieghu. L-isfortuna hi li qed jimxi b’kelj differenti ma min hu leali lejh akkost ta’ kollox u min qed isemma' lehnu u johodha kontra t-tmexxija tal-PM, dawn qed jigu mwarrba. Il-Ministru George Pullicino falla bil-kbir fil-miri tal-pajjiz li kien responsabbli ghalihom, l-ewwel fil-Mepa meta Gonzi nezzghalu dan il-qasam u issa fl-Ambjent u Affarijiet Rurali. Hemm proceduri legali u sentenzi li ghad jridu jergghu jaghtu ragun lir-residenti ta’ Marsaskala. Nistennew u naraw.
Angie Schembri
Jun 22nd 2012, 11:31
will there be more dog parks??????????????????
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