The management board tasked with safeguarding the Dwejra area has been dismantled, with the last meeting having been held over three years ago, it has emerged.
The board, set up in 2007 by the then-Mepa with the aim of managing the area, consisted of representatives of the government, the local council and environmental bodies.
Replying to questions in Parliament by Nationalist MP Chris Said, Environment Minister José Herrera confirmed that the board held its last meeting in 2012.
When asked who the members of the board were, Dr Herrera replied that, according to information supplied to him by the recently-established Environment and Resources Authority, a new board had not yet been set up.
Dr Said told this newspaper yesterday it was unacceptable that such a board was dismantled, especially since the area was of high heritage importance.
“We’re talking about Dwejra, a place which offers the most natural beauty in Gozo, if not in Malta too. Not only have no meetings been held but it has now emerged that the board no longer exists,” Dr Said complained when contacted.
The area, close to the iconic Azure Window, attracts thousands of visitors every year and is often regarded as one of the main attractions of the Maltese Islands.
Controversy has for years overshadowed the board and its work, most notably in 2010 following the approval of a development permit for the construction of an interpretation centre and ancillary facilities, including a restaurant.
At the time, the environmental body sitting on the board was Nature Trust, which withdrew its representative following the approval of the permit.
At the time, Mepa had defended the permit, saying it was part of a plan agreed by the committee members, including Nature Trust, to build a visitors’ centre in the area. But the environmental organisation insisted the visitors’ centre had been used as an excuse for the construction of a restaurant in a prime location.
According to Dr Said, while the board had struggled to bring about any significant changes, the fact was that having a management board “at least gave stakeholders a space to voice their concerns”.
Referring to recent reports that the planning authority had initiated investigations which revealed that explosive material could have been used to widen the tunnel leading to the inland sea, Dr Said felt this was a clear example on how important it was to have such a board.
“When you have reports like these, that someone was out there, illegally cutting the entrance to allow larger boats to sail through and, yet, no committee in place, it’s very worrying,” he said.