Newly-appointed MDA Director General Dr Marthese Portelli speaks to Design & Build about the mission entrusted to her by the MDA Council to bring together not only those directly involved in the construction industry but all of society so that the country can truly benefit from this major economic player.
The common good, better holistic planning and improvement are the leitmotif in this inspiring interview.
D r Marthese Portelli needs no introduction. Until a few months ago, a no nonsense politician, she has surprised many, friends and foes, after accepting this tough challenge at a time when the Maltese economy was at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is determined to face the challenge head on.
“My vision is to keep the industry growing in a new framework which respects our new way of living and in total respect to the environment which we need to protect and develop in order to keep our country attractive,” Dr Portelli, a lawyer by profession said.
To accomplish her mission, Dr Portelli needs to be as resilient as the Maltese stone. She is well aware of the industry’s issues and its perception among public opinion. But she is as determined as ever to succeed. “My vision is to achieve a paradigm shift in mentalities across the board, starting from the policy makers, the industry players, the NGOs and the public. We must all work together to achieve one common goal, a better country. We need a mindshift across the board,” she explained.
Malta needs a coherent and consistent long-term national strategy which would be binding on all successive governments and on civil society
The islands are small, the resources limited and yet the construction industry directly employs a whopping 21,000 persons in full time employment. Make that double with part-time and indirect employment and you have the makings of a large employer of European standards.
LEMONS, CHECK. LEMONADE…COMING UP
“The COVID-19 pandemic is giving our nation a unique chance to reinvent itself. If we want to move forward as a nation we must all work together – all related professions such as risk managers, structural and civil engineers, periti, construction engineers, STOs, project managers, health and safety consultants, eNGOS, government authorities and the general public. We must all collaborate together,” said Dr Portelli.
Paradigm shifts do not come easy or overnight. The wheel has to stop its turning, stand still, then start, slowly turning in the desired direction. Tough work. Capable leaders, however, take lemons and turn them into lemonade.
This is probably where Dr Portelli’s political nose comes to play. After years in the political arena, she has the skills of negotiation and compromise down to an art form. “Malta needs to have a common, binding and long-term vision. This is something that I have always worked for. All of us must understand the difficulties and concerns of each and every one, discuss, put forward ideas, and come up with a tangible long-term plan of action that is doable, sustainable and in the general interest of our country,” said Dr Portelli.
Backed by the entire MDA Council, she sees the MDA as a perfect organisation to push forward this vision. “We all need to start moving away from rhetoric and buzz words for short term gain. Malta needs a coherent and consistent long-term national strategy which would be binding on all successive governments and on civil society so as to ensure consistency in decision-making and decision-taking. We cannot continue working on short-sighted five-year electoral cycles. We really need to move forward and plan strategically. We would like to work jointly with NGOs and push the government authorities and regulators to adopt this sustainable strategic approach,” stressed Dr Portelli.
According to Dr Portelli, the MDA Council has ‘lots of energy’ and is willing to do its part. “Since its inception, just ten years ago, the MDA has grown tremendously. It now has over 1,000 members. I want to see the MDA keep growing from strength to strength, in the interest of its members and also for society as a whole” said Dr Portelli.
SIDES OF A COIN
Dr Portelli’s aspiration is to take the MDA to its next level. “I want to see it champion better protection of the natural environment. Development and the environment are not foes, as many opt to see them, but components of the same vision….I want to see the MDA champion intelligent development planning which gives a better quality of life to all….I want to see it further champion and push forward best practices in health and safety.
MDA can be the game changer not only for the benefit of its members but also for the benefit of the common good,” said the newly-installed Director General, adding that “no country can do away with development, and therefore the secret lies in how development is planned and done, both in the short term and in the long term in full respect to the environment.
As MDA Director General I want to see better usage and distribution of the monies paid by the developers as Planning Gain, I want to see a better trained workforce in terms of technique, responsibilities and ethics, I want to see a more level-playing field for all the players in the industry and better liveability for everyone.”
In this area, Dr Portelli is no novice as, for a considerable time, she shadowed a number of portfolios that had a direct impact on both development and the natural environment. These included environment, energy, transport, infrastructure, planning, capital projects, property market and public land. “I was always a true believer of strategy and planning. My track record, reflected also in the difficult decisions that I took when sitting on the Planning Board, speaks for itself. This gives me a holistic birds-eye view to understand the challenges and to strike the right balance across the board,” said Dr Portelli.
No country can do away with development… the secret lies in how development is planned and done
She observed that “A lot of unnecessary tension has been created along the years between the natural environment and development per se and unfortunately today we are reaping the outcome of past decisions and planning, or lack thereof. I believe that we need to start thinking in terms of ‘liveability’, how we can enhance the open spaces and character of our beautiful towns and villages, and how we can give more value to our natural and built heritage. In my reckoning, the environment includes the natural environment, our heritage and also the man made structures within which we live, work and play. I have always worked for a holistic approach and will continue to do so.”
The MDA also wants to build a new partnership with the public. It is of the idea that it is in the interest of developers to have good relations with their neighbours, and vice versa. In fact MDA has just embarked on a Safer Neighbourhood Scheme and launched its first initiative in support of neighbours adjacent to construction sites.
EYES ON THE FUTURE
Referring to the MDA’s origins, Dr Portelli said that the association was developer Sandro Chetcuti’s brainchild who wanted to give the sector homogeneity and a place in society. “Obviously, today everyone, including our critics, recognises that the MDA has become a force to be reckoned with. But this is not an aim in itself; one of the MDA’s primary objectives is to be a tool which churns out ideas and helps implement them” said Dr Portelli.
She described her role as Director General as one to remodel the MDA to reflect its growth and today’s challenges. Her legal background, and coming from politics and the environment sector in particular is helping the MDA in achieving S.M.A.R.T. * goals.
Dr Portelli does not shy away from her political past. Indeed, she sees this as an asset. The roles she had in politics gave her a good insight into the current policies, the current issues, the current conflicts. The roles got her in touch with various stakeholders and the general public.
“I am a person who wants to discuss, share and confront ideas so as to generate the best, doable policies possible. I really believe that we can do this together. I believe the MDA, the environmental NGOs, political parties and civil society groups should be working together towards a better future together. We might have our differences of opinion, but this does not make us enemies. We all have a common goal: to make life better for all Maltese and our guests,” said Dr Portelli.
FLAK EXPECTED AND RECEIVED
Dr Portelli’s offer to take this challenging new role came as a big surprise even to her and she was immediately aware that it will also come with criticism, suspicions and a thousand other conspiracy theories. Undeterred, she took up the challenge since “the status quo is not an option” for her. Her vision for the future is crystal clear: “We, as a country, must either change now or our future is bleak. And I would like to thank the MDA for believing that I can help to bring about the change needed, as I will surely give it my all. That is who I am.”
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