Gozitan PN candidate slams inaction on abandoned Qbajjar Battery

Nationalist Party candidate Luke Said condemned the ongoing neglect and deterioration of the 310-year-old Qbajjar Battery in Gozo.

In a statement on Thursday, Said claimed that the battery's decay, the failed restoration promises, and the lack of accountability are the fault of Heritage Minister Owen Bonnici.

Said reminded that the Qbajjar Battery is a Grade 1 scheduled landmark. He recalled that in January of this year, the Lands Authority announced an agreement to transfer the site to Heritage Malta for "emergency restoration and conservation." 

However, Said noted that by May, "no visible work had been undertaken." 

“It is now October, and still no tangible progress has been made.”

According to Said, a recent visit to the site revealed ongoing neglect, deterioration, and vandalism. He noted that the entrance to the battery remains "entirely open and unsecured," exposing the structure to further damage and posing danger to the public.

Said claimed that people were repeatedly seen spending nights inside the battery, partying and leaving litter throughout the premises.

The PN candidate noted that the PN MP Julie Zahra tabled several parliamentary questions to Owen Bonnici.

Bonnici’s replies, according to Said, were "dismissive and patronising," concluding that the minister avoided answering the simple question because "the answer remains obviously resounding no." 

Said described the ongoing state of affairs as "appalling," adding that the authorities' evasions and lack of tangible progress are "an affront to public trust and to the memory of those lost through past negligence".

He urged Owen Bonnici to "heed the advice of the Żebbuġ Local Council and entrust the site to Din l-Art Ħelwa."