The rebuilding of the Opera House site would be funded directly by a new Nationalist government because a public-private partnership would involve unacceptably high commercial use for the site, Urban Development Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Parliament. He did not say how the site would be rebuilt.
Mr Mugliett was speaking during the budget debate after opposition criticism that despite its promises, the government had not redeveloped the site at the entrance to Valletta.
Reacting to criticism that road projects were regularly late and behind budget Mr Mugliett said the opposition could hardly throw stones. A Labour government had launched four capital projects, two of which were not even started - the Opera House project fell by the wayside and the government fell over the Cottonera Project. The other two projects, the rebuilding of part of Zabbar Road in Fgura road and the Bugibba project both fell sharply behind budget and behind the target dates. The latter cost Lm1.5m more than projected. The Addolorata Cemetery junction was earmarked to cost Lm130,000, but had cost the Labour government Lm338,000. The same could be said for the promenade works between Birzebbuga, Marsascala and Marsaxlokk.
As for cost over-runs under this government, the minister said there was nothing to be ashamed of because things were not swept under the carpet. Auditors were also called in to investigate the biggest overruns that occurred, those on Hal Far Road. The over-runs were caused by a new drainage system and a boundary wall.
The present government had brought the Valletta Waterfront and the Vittoriosa Waterfront projects to fruition. In the 22 months of the labour administration no arterial roads were built. In comparison, during the 43 months of Nationalist Administration, 29km of road were constructed. He denied that the government was in panic insofar as the rebuilding of residential roads was concerned. The programme to rebuild 450 roads was launched last year and the government was proud that 240 roads had been completed and work was continuing at a good rate.
Mr Mugliett also denied that the government had defended anyone over the corruption allegations at the ADT, Indeed the cases were investigated and people taken to court and dismissed from their employment.
The minister said that contrary to what was being said now, the opposition was against the park and ride project. But this started working efficiently from day one and had since been extended. There were no plans for charge to be imposed. The Park and Ride scheme and the subsequent introduction of the CVA had freed Valletta of congestion and results were being appreciated.
Now several local councils were calling for park and ride schemes in their localities. A scheme for Pembroke would be announced shortly and one for Marsascala was under consideration.
Mr Mugliett said negotiations regarding the Vertical Connections project in Valletta were at an advanced stage.
Referring to other projects, Mr Mugliett said the redevelopment of Dock 1 and the Schreiber ground had been delayed by Mepa requests for environmental studies. Tenders for the Ta' Qali Crafts Village would be issued this month.
Referring to other points raised by Mr Buhagiar, Mr Mugliett said the Malta Yacht Club re-siting issue had been outstanding for a long time and a solution between the government and MIDI Consortium had been found. Public land would be given through a Parliamentary resolution shortly.
Mr Mugliett said Hal Far Road and the Ghajnsielem Road were completed in December 2006, the St Paul's Bay Bypass in July and the Mgarr-Victoria Road in August. Indeed, about 30 per cent of the arterial roads had been rebuilt, to high standards. One only needed to compare the Mellieha bypass, built under a Labour government, and St Paul's Bay bypass and recently rebuilt. On the uncompleted part of the St Paul's Bay bypass, the minister said there were legal issues which had to be ironed out.
He said that rigorous tests have been made ahead of the call for tenders for the rebuilding of Marsascala bypass and he was confident the project would remain within budget.
Mr Mugliett said the bus service was seeing an increase of seven per cent in passengers. This was thanks to a process which had seen the introduction of new routes and better enforcement of regulations.
Talks on public transport reform were 90 per cent complete but this reform needed to be done in a proper legal framework. The agreement must take heed of the modernisation of fleet and the introduction of new technology.
It was hoped that the first contract for a trackless train would be awarded in the coming days.
Concluding, Mr Mugliett said that the quality of work being undertaken by the ADT had improved and this resulted in better quality. Transport was not an end in itself by a means to promote all activities of society and it was because of this that transport must reach a level of excellence.
Earlier in the sitting, Charles Buhagiar, opposition spokesman on capital projects, said the government was not delivering. Last year in the budget the government promised two new roads, an arterial road linking December 13 Road with the Valletta Waterfront and the upgrading of Council of Europe Road in Luqa. Neither had materialized.
Indeed the way how promised projects never materialised was a characteristic of this legislature and millions of funds allocated for capital projects went unused.
Another characteristic was how road projects regularly went over budget and fell behind schedule. Some examples included the Mosta ring-road, Civil Aviation Road, the Hal Far Road and St Paul's Bay by-pass.
The roads constructed under the Italian protocol cost Lm7m more than the projected Lm12.4m. And parts of roads meant to last 25 years had collapsed in 25 months.
At the newly rebuilt St Paul's Bay bypass, a section which collapsed eight years ago because of works by a private contractor had not been rebuilt.
Rehabilitation of Mtarfa by-pass started in 1999 and was completed nine years later, with the cost rising from a projected Lm200,000 to Lm1.25 million. And parts of this road too were caving in.
The rebuilding of Manwel Dimech Bridge was earmarked for completion in one year but two extensions had already been given and it will now be ready by June next year.
The Gzira link-road, linking Manoel Island with Kappara was first announced in 2001 but nothing has since been done.
The proposed road from Xemxija to Mellieha had caused a furore from Manikata farmers and had been shelved.
In 2005, the minister had announced the building of a pedestrian bridge over Mriehel bypass. He doubted if even a call for tenders had been issued.
Mr Buhagiar criticised the handling, by Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett, or corruption allegations against members of staff of the ADT , saying it was scandalous.
He also touched on public transport, saying the bus service to the university was so long winding, students were arriving late for lectures.
Would the bus service be liberalised, as the EU was saying? Would subsidies be stopped?
Mr Buhagiar said that under Mr Mugliett not one new capital project was planned and completed. The only projects on which work was done were those started by the former Labour government.
He said the building of a new football ground for Sliema Wanderers, as part of the Tigné project, was four years late and there was nothing certain yet over an alternative site for the Malta Yacht Club.
An application had been filed so that all traffic from Ghar id-Dud to the Ferries would be diverted through Qui-si-Sana even though this was being resisted by the residents.
Mr Buhagiar said the only parts of the Cottonera Project that had been completed were the commercial ones. The hotel near the casino had not been started yet and no one knew what had become of plans to redevlop No.1 Dock and rehabilitate the Macina.
The landscaping project at the Vittoriosa Waterfront was financed by the government without the consortium rising up to its promise in providing space for the arts.
The proposed car park at Santa Margerita in Cospicua, announced in 2002, was still pending.
Turning to Valletta, Mr Buhagiar said that nothing had been done regarding the site of the former Opera House, the bus terminus, City Gate and Fort St Elmo.
The park and ride project, which in itself was a good project, had been expanded and drivers were now being charged 30c.
The CVA project was only yielding an average of Lm30,000 a month, which was nowhere near the annual Lm1.5 million which the government had earmarked.
The Connections Project had been shelved except for a part, now called Vertical Connections involving the return of the Barrakka lift, although this had not happened either.
The redevelopment of the Schreiber Sports Ground, Ta' Qali Crafts Village and the Ta' Qali convention centre had been left in vacuum.
Concluding, Mr Buhagiar said a Labour government intended to regenerate the ports and the surrounding areas in a holistic manner. To solve the many environmental problems at the ports, a good transport system was needed. The ministry was riddled with incompetence, abuse and scandals and the people would judge the government on its merits, he said.
Stefan Buontempo (MLP) said the MLP had been speaking on the need to unlock the economic potential of the harbours area for years. Under the present government the harbour area decreased in importance. The MLP had come up with a plan to develop the area economically and socially and would do so upon being elected to government.
Valletta deserved particular importance. It was good that public buildings were being restored, but the residential population had dropped to around 7,000 and measures were needed to reverse the trend.
City gate remained a shambles, the Opera House was still in ruins, despite many promises. What would replace the Opera House ruins? Twenty years had passed since the last Valletta masterplan, drawn by Renzo Piano, and a new one was needed.
Cottonera too needed regeneration so that its potential could be realised. The government had started to rehabiliate the Vittoriosa waterfront, but residences further in the city remained in a dangerous state.
When would the site of the hotel at Vittoriosa waterfront be built up? Would apartments replace the proposed hotel? Would there be building on the quay below Fort St Angelo? He hoped not, Dr Buontempo said, as it would ruin the area.
Joe Falzon (PN) said a fundamental mistake of the Mintoff government was how the Cottonera area was allowed to run down. It was the present government which was breathing new life into this area.
The Grand Harbour regeneration plan had been in the making for years, as evidenced by the successful Valletta Waterfront project and the Vittoriosa project.
The masterplan of the harbours included an audio visual centre, a hotel for Valletta, and an endless list of other projects.
Mr Falzon said SmartCity would also benefit the harbour area and the south.
Mr Falzon said the government was eyeing a new 600 berth yacht marina at Xemxija and another at Marsascala.