The Nationalist Party said that it condemns the way the Government is ”abdicating its responsibility to safeguard historic sites. Our country’s historical heritage is being left to deteriorate before our very eyes.”

Julie Zahra, Shadow Minister for Culture and the Creative Economy, said in a statement that ”it is shameful how this Government is putting at risk historic buildings that form an intrinsic part of our history.”

Ms Zahara stated that ”the collapse of part of the historic Qbajjar battery in Gozo – revealed by the media in recent hours – is clear proof that even when warned about the poor state of heritage buildings, the Government continues to fail.”

She added, ”despite having promised months ago that restoration works would commence on this over 300-year-old Grade 1 scheduled property, nothing has been done to date.”

The Shadow Minister lamented that ”the lack of investment in historic buildings and monuments shows that, for this Government, history and culture mean nothing.”

”What happened in Qbajjar is the direct result of years of neglect and inaction by the Government. This site of national importance, built in the 18th century, was allowed to deteriorate despite repeated promises that were never fulfilled,” she said.

Ms Zahara insisted that ”our historical heritage is not a burden but a national identity that must be protected through action, not mere words.”

She went on to say that ”what previous generations left us, what they built through their hard work, and what we have a duty to safeguard for our children and future generations, must not be allowed to disappear.”

”The Government appears to have learnt nothing from the tragedy in Marsaskala, when part of the Rihama Battery collapsed in a tragic incident that claimed the life of a young woman,” said the Shadow Minister.

Ms Zahara stressed that ”instead of shouldering its responsibility to protect what belongs to us all and investing in the restoration of historic buildings, this Government is squandering hundreds of thousands of euros on propaganda that benefits only a select few.”

The Nationalist Party concluded by saying that it ”condemns the Government’s negligence and calls for immediate accountability, as well as urgent intervention to save what remains. Our children have the right to enjoy our country’s heritage, and no Government has the right to deprive them of this.”

File photo:DLH

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