Updated 3.10pm with KTP reaction
A new authority is to be set up to enforce construction rules, overhaul existing legislation and take over responsibilities currently under the remit of various entities and boards.
The Malta Construction and Building Authority, as it will be called, aims to be the “port of call” for stakeholders and the public, Minister Ian Borg said.
Details were announced on Tuesday morning during the presentation of a White Paper by the Infrastructure Ministry.
The new regulator will take over the Building Industry Consultative Council, the Building Regulations Office, Building Regulations Board and the Masons’ Board.
Former Lands Authority CEO Carlo Mifsud has been tasked with coordinating the setting up of the new regulator. In a presentation, he said that the new authority would also be expected to come up with new policies and regulations for the construction sector.
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One of its key functions will be enforcing building and construction site regulations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Infrastructure Minister Dr Borg acknowledged the need for better regulation of dust control and noise levels, not only to mitigate inconveniences to third parties but also in the interest of the construction sector itself.
While giving no indication of when the new authority would be up and running, he said that initial feedback from the Opposition was positive.
The White Paper proposes various ways of financing the new regulator, from training course fees to income from energy performance certificates.
Architects' lobby welcomes proposals
Architects and civil engineers welcomed the proposals. In a statement, the Kamra tal-Periti said that it had long been calling for building regulation standards to be handled separately from planning development issues.
“The principles outlined in the White Paper are aligned with the views of the Kamra tal-Periti, and, we believe, augur well for the industry,” the KTP said. It expressed hope that the new regulator would be given the necessary financial, human and technological resources to work.
The KTP will soon be publishing a policy framework document with its own recommendations for the sector, it said.