Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg visited Dar tal-Kleru where Infrastructure Malta and the Archdiocese of Malta are collaborating on the regeneration of the garden, with more than 20,000 square metres of open land.
Earlier this year, Infrastructure Malta planted 700 cypress trees in this garden, while the planting of 700 different trees is underway, including carob trees, olive trees, bay laurel, oak, Judas trees and fruit trees, together with 1,790 rosemary bushes alongside footpaths.
Minister Ian Borg said, “government was, is and will remain committed to improving our country’s aesthetic, through more suitable roads, new or embellished community spaces, and trees as in this project. We want to give our people a better Malta than we inherited so that present and future generations can enjoy a better quality of life. This project forms part of Infrastructure Malta’s national initiative which, since 2019 has led to almost 17,000 trees and 3,870 bushes planted in different localities. Agency contractors continue watering and maintaining every tree for several years until these become established in their new environment. This is in line with our commitment towards long-term initiatives. It is no longer a time when concluded projects become a closed book. Our work needs to be sustained with the necessary maintenance and interventions. This counts for every project, and this is what we will keep on doing.”
Before planting the trees and bushes, Infrastructure Malta added and levelled the garden’s ground with soil collected from ongoing road projects, while also helping the administration of the home to better organise and improve accessibility of the gardens with footpaths for residents. Public Works Department employees are also carrying out repairs of existing paths and creating new paths. A new irrigation system is being installed together with several benches in different parts of the garden. The home, with the support of other benefactors, is also incorporating a rosary garden and an indigenous grove which will eventually be opened to educational school visits. Other parts of the home will continue being used as a kitchen garden where the community grows its own vegetables.
David Azzopardi, an environmentalist and sports educator, had proposed this collaboration and is voluntarily helping with this regeneration. Meanwhile, Infrastructure Malta and the Archdiocese are collaborating to plant more trees in other open spaces administered by the Church.
Photo: DOI/MTIP
