Editorial • 3 August 2003

Of heritage, funds and landfills

She is the chief executive officer of Malta’s heritage agency. She comes from the private sector and knows the job she landed entails a lot of hard work. Kurt Sansone talks to Antoinette Caruana

Only six months old, Heritage Malta is still finding its feet. But the government agency entrusted with looking after our heritage has a major issue up its alley with the decision to site two temporary landfills near the Mnajdra and Hagar Qim temples.
"The board is still discussing its position," Antoinette Caruana tells MaltaToday. She is the chief executive at Heritage Malta and a woman who brings management experience from the private sector to the government agency.
Caruana is adamant about the respect that has to be afforded to our cultural heritage and insists that there should be "no compromise at any point in time."
Heritage Malta was not consulted in the preparation of the report that identified the two Qrendi quarries adjacent to the prehistoric temples as the sites for temporary landfills. Caruana’s reply to the question as to whether Heritage Malta has been consulted since the official announcement of the sites is couched in diplomacy.
"The Board of Heritage Malta is looking into the proposal. At this point in time we are communicating with MEPA and seeking further involvement to safeguard our heritage. None of the parties have been in discussion yet. We’ve been in discussion only with our own ministry, the Ministry for Sport, Youth and Art."
She insists that as custodian of Malta’s heritage the agency will do its utmost to safeguard the temples.
"We also want to make sure that the economic and tourism potential of our heritage is also safeguarded," Caruana adds.
However, the CEO understands that the issue of waste management is a national problem and has to be dealt with professionally. That is why Heritage Malta wants to be a party to the decision of the siting of the temporary landfills. "In this way we will be able to better safeguard our heritage," Caruana says.
The obvious question begs. Can we really afford having a landfill so close to a world heritage site?
Caruana does not flinch but once again couches her words in the mantle of diplomacy. "I’m sure that if government could avoid siting the landfill there it would avoid it. I don’t think anyone would want to have a landfill near a site that is so archaeologically important. I am convinced that if the site is the one to be chosen then there must be a sound reason for the choice."
She adds: "We also have to understand that the quarries are a big headache. We tend to forget this, but people in the sector have complained about the quarries for many years. They were damaging the site because of the work and aesthetically they ruined the environmental context of the World Heritage site."
And again she reiterates her organisation’s stand: "We are really looking forward to be involved in the plans."
The question of whether the public can trust government to do a good job at the proposed landfill site is a natural addenda to the whole issue.
Caruana sits back and pauses for a minute. "It’s a hard question to answer, but as citizens all of us will keep our eyes open to make sure that adequate safeguards are taken to protect our heritage. We have put our trust in different governments on a number of issues over a number of years. All parties have to be actively involved to ensure that trust is built and that what needs to be done, is done in the right way."
Heritage Malta in more ways than one owes its beginning to the abominable rape of Mnajdra in 2001. The violence perpetrated against Malta’s heritage awakened the national conscience and pressure was exercised on the authorities to act. Since then new heritage legislation has been enacted and a number of organisations have been set up, one of which is Heritage Malta.
Harking back to the attack on the temple Antoinette Caruana says that despite the limited funds available Heritage Malta spent over Lm65,000 on lighting between Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
She admits that more has to be done and with the help of European Union structural funds a project to protect the temples from natural elements is in the pipeline.
Heritage Malta gets its finances from government and with the adverse economic situation it’s not going to be easy to convince the minister responsible to release the cash easily.
Caruana remarks: "Obviously, I wouldn’t want to be in Minister Dalli’s shoes with everyone demanding cash to push forward their respective projects.
"However, having set up such an agency we also want to be able to have the revenue to carry out our mission because otherwise it will be very frustrating not to be able to do so. Until now we have found the support to take stock of the situation. We don’t have the millions that other countries may have to invest in their heritage but we are looking into alternative sources for funding."
Caruana says Heritage Malta is finding ways and means of working with the private sector. "There is a lot of interest being shown by the private sector and we are also trying to tap EU funds."
In the CEO’s words, Heritage Malta may be six months old but has a hundred years of history. She explains that 2003 marks the 100 year of its predecessor, the Museums Department. Through the Cultural Heritage Act, Heritage Malta are charged with the management, the marketing, the conservation and protection of sites.
"We have started on solid foundations," Caruana says. Outlining the work for the years to come, Caruana explains that her Board is planning a strategy for the next three years. It should be published by the year’s end or the beginning of next year.
"We want to adopt a much more holistic approach rather than implement piecemeal solutions. Obviously we have limitations of both financial and human resources, but we want to focus the strategy on a number of issues."
Education is one area of emphasis. "We want to bring people closer to the archaeological sites and education is one way of doing that," she says.
But improving access is also an important issue for the heritage organisation. Opening hours for historic sites have been extended and a re-organisation of internal structures can improve access in the years to come.
"I like to call this organisational reform as changing the culture of culture. There are good people within the organisation. They are young, excited and professional people, who are really taking the chance to do something. At the moment we are discussing a new management structure and a new collective agreement."
However, Caruana’s analysis of Heritage Malta’s upcoming strategy is not complete without reference to the economic potential of the historic sites.
"I don’t think we realise enough what niche markets we can tap in the cultural heritage sector. Malta is no longer merely the island of sea, sun and fun. Our rich history can help us generate revenue which, in turn, can be ploughed back into the sector as stipulated by the Cultural Heritage Act."
Is cultural heritage being presented in a ‘sexy’ way so as to attract the interest of younger generations?
Caruana pauses and smiles. She admits that a lot has to be done to change how the country has presented its cultural heritage.
"We are organising an educational initiative for the summer school at Chiswick and will hopefully extend this programme to other schools next year. We also organised a treasure hunt for schoolchildren in two museums in Birgu, which was well attended. We have to be very clever about creating innovative programmes to generate interest. Heritage Malta wants museums and archaeological sites to become activity centres. This is not going to happen overnight, but we will get there."
She is confident that, in its brief existence Heritage Malta has generated a feeling of change. Caruana says: "We have opened doors to a lot of things and people have been receptive. We are here to bring about change in a gradual manner. We will shortly be installing automated ticketing systems and we have extended our opening hours and will shortly start issuing a magazine."
Vandals and nature may threaten the country’s rich legacy but for the heritage CEO the greatest threat comes from the lack of recognition of the great wealth the country possesses.
"If we don’t really appreciate the wealth we have and take care of it nobody will. Pumping in money could be a short-term approach. I’m not saying money is not needed, but the longer-term guarantee is an educated public to be proud enough of what we have."
Caruana comes from a background in the private sector. She previously worked in a managerial position with a leading German manufacturing company. "There is a difference between how things are done in the private and public sectors. Things take more time to be done by government and it takes some getting used to, but this is understandable given that we are dealing with public funds."
Caruana says there is a great temptation when working in government structures, to do things simply to be seen doing them. "But with culture you can’t mess about. It’s better to make small steps that will really count in the long term."