Infrastructure Malta says it has planted over 8,700 trees in 2019

The government roads agency Infrastructure Malta has said it has planted 8,719 indigenous trees in 18 localities across Malta in 2019.

The €1 million spend includes a long-term care and watering programme for the trees.

Maligned for its expansive road-widening project that has eaten into rural fields, the roads agency said its arborists reviewed proposals from councils and stakeholders to draft landscaping plans.

“Originally, this project aimed to add 6,700 new trees in Malta by the end of 2019. However, following an overwhelming response from local councils and other organisations, Infrastructure Malta extended it to include another 2,000 trees within the same period. The last few hundreds of these trees were planted in the Bahar ic-Caghaq area of Naxxar and in the San Gwann t’Ghuxa area of Cospicua between Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” IM CEO Frederick Azzopardi said.

Over 30 indigenous tree species were planted, including tamarisk, olives, cypress, European dwarf palms, lentisk, holm oaks, Aleppo pines, myrtle, sandarac gum trees - also known as araar, Malta’s national tree - carobs and other species.   

The trees were planted in 18 localities including Attard, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Cospicua, Dingli, Kalkara, Luqa, Marsa, Mosta, Msida, Naxxar, Pembroke, Qormi, Rabat, Safi, Santa Lucija, Zebbug and Zejtun. Infrastructure will continue planting more trees in other towns and villages in the coming months.

Many new trees are adorning roads which the agency upgraded or reconstructed since it was established in 2018, such as Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, L-Ahhar Hbit mit-Torok Road (known as Tac-Cawsli) between Zabbar and Zejtun, Tal-Balal Road, between San Gwann and Naxxar, Buqana Road, between Mtarfa and Mosta, Regional Road, Msida and Luqa Road, Santa Lucija.      

“The successful implementation of our 2019 initiative to plant so many trees in different localities is giving people a greener environment outside their homes and workplaces, and along the routes of their daily commutes. We encourage local councils and other interested organisations or individuals to continue proposing new public sites where we can plant more trees in 2020 and beyond,” Azzopardi said.