Gharb Local Council will be holding a referendum in the locality on December 8, when residents will be asked whether new fireworks factories should be allowed.

The council had announced the holding of the referendum following the September 5 explosion which killed six persons. The council had said it was seeking the view of the residents in view of the fact that several members of the council had conflicts of interest and could not therefore decide on new applications for fireworks factories.

The council in a statement today, said it was well aware of the fact that the locality was becoming 'a base' of fireworks factories and this was unacceptable for the residents health and safety. It was also unacceptable that an issue such as this was only discussed when there was a tragedy, with everything being forgotten after a short time.

The council said it appreciated that fireworks were an important element of Maltese culture, but society was paying a high price in human lives.

The council stressed that there should be more frequent controls on existing fireworks factories, involving production procedures and storage, the materials used and the qualifications of people producing fireworks.

The people also needed to be better informed of the risks involved in the transport of fireworks.

The residents of Gharb will be invited to vote at the council offices between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Vote counting will be held immediately afterward.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100912/local/councillors-reasons-for-referendum

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