Tender to manage Dwejra Heritage Park cancelled

“The tender was cancelled since the financial package presented by the bidder was substantially higher than the Authority’s approved budget and the threshold set by the Tenders department,” a spokesperson for the Authority told MaltaToday.

MEPA will now have to re-issue the tender.

The original tender document issued in August stated that the government will be financing the management of the park but did not specify the budget available for the project.

MEPA has only received one bid for the management of the park.

The €348,300 bid was presented by ADI Associates – a firm which specialises in environment assessments and land use and environmental planning.

The firm is owned by former MEPA officials Adrian Mallia and Rachel Xuereb and planning consultant Kevin Morris.

According to the MEPA spokesperson “from a technical aspect, the bid was compliant to MEPA requirements.”

The tasks assigned to the new management include setting a scheme for tourist-boat operators, the identification of at least four terrestrial nature trails and two boat-trips that provide an interesting experience to the visitor, the installation of signage and adequate fencing to control trampling, provide suitable parking facilities for coaches and organise the parking area at il-Pjazza tad-Dwejra.

The new managing board will also draft a new Management Plan for the Park.

The new manager was to be given 15 months to organise the boathouse area through “consultation with boathouse owners.”

One of the problems facing the new management is the existence of two categories of boathouses standing next to each other. While scores of boathouses were completely legalised a few days before the elections, others had their permits turned down in the past months.

The park is administrated by a Management Board, which includes representatives of MEPA, government and NGOs. The Managing Body of the Park, to whom this tender will be awarded, had to act as the executive arm of the Board.