SPEECH BY THE HON FRANCIS ZAMMIT DIMECH MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE CLOSING SESSION OF THE SEMINAR ON FIRE SAFETY AND BUILDING REGULATIONS ORGANISED BY THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT (BCID) AND THE BUILDING INDUSTRY CONSULTATIVE COU

I am very pleased that I can be with you today and deliver the closing address to this seminar. I hope my presence here underlines the importance that this Government gives to key issues such as the one discussed today in this seminar.

I want therefore to take this opportunity to set out some of this Government's key objectives.

When we were returned into Government in the late eighties we set ourselves an ambitious agenda for change. Change in the way and mentality of how this country had to do things. Change in how the Civil Service and the establishment had to relate to the public. Since then, we have done much to address these issues. I feel, however, that there is still a lot more to be done.

Way back in 1990, by means of the Building Permits (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1988, and through the Planning Services Division of the then Ministry for the Development of the Infrastructure, we commissioned the drafting of a Structure Plan for Malta which had to cover the period for the next twenty years.

In 1992, we built on this by setting up the Planning Authority through the Development Planning Act.

In 1994, the Works Division took up the initiative to review the existing building regulations. A steering committee and a number of sub-committees made up of professionals in both Government and private practice together with representatives of the relevant chambers of architects and engineers, the Federation of Industry and the General Retailers and Traders Association (GRTU) began reviewing our old building laws and drafting new ones.

With the setting up of the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC) and the Building Construction Industry Department (BCID), this work was taken over by these two entities which continued to expand on the sterling work done by the previous committees. I am pleased to note that this work has now reached a stage where in the coming months it will be possible for us to introduce a new Act which will deal with Registration of Contractors and Building Control.

Another of the declared policies of this Government has been to proceed forward through consultation and partnership with the public and private sector.

On my Ministry's part we are also planning to set up a Building Control Office which will work as an advisor and not just as a policing agency. This demonstrates our forward thinking and willingness to play our part in adapting to a new construction environment. We intend to provide the Building Control Office with experts and facilities to be able to actively deal with all matters relating to these regulations in order to ensure that the safe and healthy built environment standards which are expected by society in this age are met.

We are also determined to ensure that the services offered will be of a high quality and fully committed to achieving business excellence. We also want to ensure that our staff at the Building Control office will not only be administrators of building control but also participating partners who can add value to the industry.

We believe that the mechanisms being proposed in the Building Act will allow designers and developers to adopt innovative solutions which when accepted by the Building Regulations Advisory Board will help in keeping our building laws in a dynamic state.

Another important issue is that building regulations need constant adaptation to meet apart from our own national demands, demands by foreign visitors to our shores who contribute greatly to our economic growth and who are used to higher standards especially of safety, in and around buildings. Such lack of safety has been especially evident in the particular topic of ‘fire safety' which you have been discussing in this seminar. We are dealing with a legacy of generations where fire hazard was always considered as negligible or non existent. Facts, however, speak differently. I therefore hope that this seminar and similar ones such as that held some three months ago by one of Malta's leading firms dealing in matters related to this subject will continue to promote this awareness throughout the country and especially those who are on the front line of exposure to these situations.

The image of the building industry is at times tarnished by the activities of a minority. We have been indicating for quite some time now that we intend to introduce a ‘registration and classification' system for those involved in the industry. We are determined that the prevailing mentality that anybody, even those without any necessary background knowledge and skill, can practise in the industry be eliminated. We have studied what other countries have been doing on this subject and we are also keeping track of developments being made. The European Union has recently published a draft for an EU standard on the Qualification of Construction Enterprises. This document is at present being reviewed by the member states and we are keeping track of its development.

Seeing that good building practice requires both good designs and good execution we felt that the new Building Control Act should also encompass another requirement, that is the Registration of Contractors. This will not be a unique situation for Malta. Similar legislation already exists abroad.

To ensure that change is not an end in itself but is a tool for improvement of well-being for all who live on these islands, I hope that you will maintain the positive dialogue that you have already established with us through your participation in this seminar and also similar seminars held previously. Please work with us to improve standards within the Building Industry. Continue to enhance your own professional status, and most importantly, remain open to new ideas. I expect that you will be a proactive part of the drive for higher standards, greater efficiency, and new opportunities in our country.