Factories will go higher to avoid taking up green spaces, Chris Cardona says

It would be a mistake if factories were allowed to encroach on the natural environment, Chris Cardona has told Parliament.

The Economy Minister was replying to a question by Labour Whip Byron Camilleri on the issue of space for industrial development.

"It would be a mistake on the part of government if it keeps developing and encroaching on the environment due to economic growth," Cardona said with reference to Malta Industrial Parks.

He added this was why Malta Industrial Parks was tackling the issue of space for factories at the Mriehel industrial estate by looking at possible developments that would maximise surface area by expanding vertically rather than horizontally.

"The challenge is that factories of 20 years ago weren't built this way and weren't designed with such a development boom in mind," Cardona said, adding that he recently visited factories in Bulebel that barely had an interstice between them.

"This is why Malta Industrial Parks has reached an agreement with several factories. Factory owners will hand the government their old land so the government can make way for sustainable expansion and create state-of-the-art buildings," Cardona said.

He added that this was the way a serious government would face the challenge of industrial zones.