The Valletta Waterfront, admired by many, has been a breakthrough in the construction industry. Angelo Xuereb, chairman of the AX Holdings Group, tells SIMONNE PACE that quality construction is what really makes this project tick. Up till around ten years ago, Maltese contractors used to marvel at the quality of workmanship overseas.
Over the past three decades, there have been numerous plans, discussions and reports on how we can reviveValletta but regrettably, relatively very little has actually been done. It seems that we are. missing the vision and motivation to act
The Federation of the building and Civil engineering Contractors (FOBC), which is an affiliate association within the Malta Federation of Industry (FOI), works continuously to improve many aspects inherent to the Construction Industry in Malta. The list is never ending… from Health and Safety considerations to the registration of contractors. from the shortage of labour to the size of the stone…
The development of the most prominent location in Valletta, a world heritage city, has been in discussion for the past 60 years. Various attempts to reach a decision were made during the Sixties, in 1989, in 1997and in 2002 without reaching any conclusions. It is now high time that a final decision is taken so that we can move ahead.
The Permit refusal for the golf course has hit Angelo Xuereb hard but not hard enough to picture his enthusiasm. He has a number of innovative proposals for public-private partnerships. He told Vanessa Macdonald about some that had been short-listed as viable years ago but which have been gathering dust since.
In any civil engineering tender, one hot potato is the preliminary clause. this general item includes various seemingly minor items, ranging from site hoarding to pedestrian and vehicular traffic rerouting, billboards, security, temporary services, cleanliness and hygiene, to provisions of sanitary facilities and insurance against health and safety risks for the workers on-site for the duration of the project. A lump sum is often quoted or sometimes this is omitted, claiming that this item is absorbed in the other rates quoted.
The man behind plans to build a world-class golf course near Rabat has insisted the project will create jobs and boost the Maltese Economy if it gets the Go Ahead. Ax Holdings chairman Anglu Xuereb launched an exhibition explaining the proposals in detail.
In a bid to dispel misinformation and allegations on its controversial golf course project at Verdala in the Press, AX holdings last week circulated a 15-page document to the highest civil and ecclesiastical authorities. AX holdings have been waiting for a 3000-page Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project to be approved b the planning authority for two years.
An environmental impact assessment of the proposed golf course in Rabat concludes that the “sustainability benefits” of the scheme outweigh the adverse impact and would bring significant economic benefits to the economy. With the EIA, the ‘golf ball’ is back at the feet of the Planning Authority, which is now studying it after it was presented to the authority by prospective developer AXHoldings in November.