PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER: Community and sports investment in Birżebbuġa pool, which can now be used all year round

Prime Minister Robert Abela inaugurated an investment in favour of the whole community at the Birżebbuġa Aquatic Club. Through this investment, the club is now equipped with a heat pump system and a new pool cover, so that the water is kept at a suitable temperature throughout the year. This will allow athletes, club members and residents to make use of this facility all year round.

Prime Minister Abela stated that this project reflects the Government's continuous commitment to implement quality projects in the sports sector and for the benefit of the community. He noted with satisfaction how this investment reflects the synergy between various entities including the Department of Public Works, SportMalta, representatives of this sports club and the Birżebbuġa Local Council. As a result of this collaboration, the spread of benefits generated by this investment will make this only outdoor pool in the south of Malta, which is now also heated, accessible to Birżebbuġa residents on specific days and times. “This makes the project truly community-based, and strengthens social and sporting activity in the locality," the Prime Minister added.

Dr Abela also noted that this project is expected to bring substantial financial benefits to the club, which until now had to pay for the use of other swimming pools during the winter months. The funds that would have been spent for this purpose can now be re-invested in the club, to strengthen its operations and guarantee its long-term financial sustainability.

This initiative further confirms how local communities are at the centre of the Government's vision and political agenda, together with the political will to invest continuously in Birżebbuġa in order to rectify and improve past decisions and create a better future for all residents.

The Prime Minister stressed that this project goes hand in hand with other initiatives being taken by the Government in this locality, including the regeneration of the Birżebbuġa Promenade, which will be carried out with an investment of around €12 million and is expected to start at the beginning of next year – a project which will create five new open spaces.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works, Omar Farrugia, remarked that the south of Malta, through this project, for the first time has a pool which can be used all year round and not only in the summer months. He added that this investment will be a new service for Birżebbuġa residents and those living in nearby areas who need to use the pool for therapeutic purposes.

The Parliamentary Secretary added that in recent months the Public Works Department, together with the Local Council and local organisations, worked hard to implement a number of projects that guarantee a better quality of life and safer environment for the Birżebbuġa community and the surrounding residents. “This commitment will continue to be strengthened, as at the beginning of next year, apart from the regeneration of the Birżebbuġa Promenade, there is also the building of a new place for the regatta club. These are projects which mean direct investment in Birżebbuġa residents," concluded Farrugia.

Photos: OPM/DOI