The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has cleared a land reclamation project linked to the redevelopment of the San Giljan Aquatic Sports Club.

The project will include a restaurant with outdoor seating, a lido for sunbeds, a swimming pool and additional club facilities.

A previous application was withdrawn after ERA objected to the obliteration of seagrass known as Posidonia Oceanica and the significant visual intrusion on the bay.

But clearance was granted after a new application was presented, reducing the land reclamation footprint. This revision reduced the loss of posidonia meadows by 80%.

The land reclamation project will still involve the take-up of 2,230m² of newly reclaimed land to accommodate the new commercial lido, including 197m² of protected Posidonia meadows. Moreover, construction works will still take place adjacent to the protected habitats.

The new bullnose breakwater will also be built on piles rather than caissons, meaning the seagrass beneath will not be completely buried, although remaining patches will still suffer from shading and scouring.

An updated Environmental Impact Assessment written by  AIS Environment Ltd , concluded that these changes downgraded the ecological impact from “major significant” to “minor-to-moderate significant”.

However, the impact on views of Balluta Bay remains significant.

During a meeting in July, ERA board members were told that while the changes represented a considerable improvement, residual impacts on posidonia at the margins are still expected.

NGO representative Martin Galea DeGiovanni, who along with board member Charmaine Mangion voted against the project, warned that the development remained substantial compared to the existing situation. He argued that even with the reduction in scale, the project would continue to exert pressure on the fragile seagrass habitat.

Visual impact was another major concern. Photomontages showed that the redesigned platform, with softer edges and a smaller footprint, would reduce visual prominence when viewed from Pjazza Balluta and Xatt is-Sajjieda. Here, the impact was downgraded from “major” to “moderate significant.” But from other viewpoints – including Triq George Borg Olivier, Triq Ċensu Tabone, Triq it-Torri and Ix-Xatt ta’ Spinola – the visual impact remains unchanged, still registering as moderate-to-major.

Moreover, ERA acknowledged that such effects are “unavoidable when involving land reclamation,” particularly in an urbanised setting.

Nonetheless, the directorate recommended approval, noting that ERA’s two main concerns – the scale of seagrass loss and the most significant visual impacts – had been addressed through the latest revisions.

It also stressed that permit conditions would impose mitigation measures, including strict monitoring of the marine environment during construction, containment of dredged material, use of silt curtains, spillage prevention and lighting mitigation.

The board voted in favour of approval, with only Martin Galea DeGiovanni and Charmaine Mangion opposing.

Board Chairman Perit Vincent Cassar emphasised the importance of closely monitoring the posidonia during works, with the developer required to fund an ERA-approved independent monitor.

ERA’s clearance clears a major stumbling block for the approval of the project by the Planning Authority which still has to issue its verdict.

The St Julian’s water polo club is one of Malta’s foremost clubs but lacks modern facilities. The team is the current Premier Division Winter League champion.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has approved a revised land reclamation project tied to the redevelopment of the San Giljan Aquatic Sports Club in St Julian’s, MaltaToday reports.

The development is set to feature a restaurant with outdoor seating, a lido for sunbeds, a swimming pool, and upgraded club facilities. An earlier application was withdrawn after the ERA objected to the destruction of protected seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) and the project’s heavy visual impact on Balluta Bay.

In the revised plans, the land reclamation footprint was reduced, cutting projected seagrass loss by 80%, the newspaper reports. A redesigned bullnose breakwater will be built on piles instead of caissons, ensuring the seagrass beneath is not entirely buried. However, some shading and scouring impacts are still expected. An updated Environmental Impact Assessment downgraded the ecological impact from “major significant” to “minor-to-moderate significant.”

While the visual impact has been lessened in some viewpoints – particularly from Pjazza Balluta and Xatt is-Sajjieda – it remains moderate-to-major from other vantage points, including Triq George Borg Olivier and Spinola seafront. ERA noted that such visual effects are “unavoidable” in urbanised land reclamation projects.

During July’s board meeting, NGO representative Martin Galea DeGiovanni and member Charmaine Mangion voted against approval, warning that the project still represents substantial development with lasting pressure on fragile marine habitats, MaltaToday reports.

Despite these objections, ERA’s directorate recommended approval, noting improvements in design and mitigation measures. The permit will require independent monitoring of the marine environment, silt curtains to contain dredging, prevention of spillages, and limits on lighting during construction.

The ERA board approved the project, with only two dissenting votes. Chairman Perit Vincent Cassar underlined the importance of strict monitoring of Posidonia throughout the works, which will be funded by the developer.

ERA’s clearance paves the way for the Planning Authority’s final decision.

The San Giljan club, one of Malta’s leading water polo teams and current Premier Division Winter League champions, has long been seeking modernised facilities to match its sporting stature.

The Piedmont High School boys water polo team is looking forward to another successful season despite a change at the top. Longtime coach John Savage is stepping back this year after his child was born in December. Rik Krumins, who has served as an assistant in several previous seasons will take the reins with Savage only coming out once or twice per week.

Savage joked that he will be a “consultant” this year.

Krumins is more than familiar with the program. His son Peter was a standout on the North Coast Section Division 2 championship team in 2023. His daughter Esme is a junior on the Piedmont girls team.

“We’re actually really excited about this group,” Rik Krumins said. “We have a few seniors coming back.” Elles Krieckhaus is one of those.

“He has been on varsity for the past four years,” Krumins said. “He’s going to be our key goal scorer. He’ll be playing two-meters and doing a lot of post up on the side as well as leading our counter attack.”

Goalkeeper Luke McAuliffe is a senior entering his third year as a starter. “He has been playing club,” Krumins said. “He gets out of the water pretty high. He’s a very vocal goalie. Controlling the defense, directing where our players are at certain times.”

Zach Dupree, another senior, will be seeing an increase in playing time. “He’s an up and coming varsity player,” Krumins said. “He’ll be two-meter offense and prob two-meter defense.”

A couple of returning sophomores will also be key players. Krumins called Rylan Patty, “a very aggressive offensive player, he’ll be doing a lot of post up, driving, counter attacking.”

Krumins said of Henry Stein that he’s a left-hander and “played a lot of minutes last year as a freshman. He really holds down the 4-5 side and the wing.”

Freshman Ben Kappes should make an immediate impact. “He has been playing club for the last three-four years,” Krumins said. “He’ll be coming in with a skill set to contribute to the team on the defensive side and the offensive side.”

Krumins said the team will use a drop defense while splitting the top. The advantage the Highlanders have is rather than just one player to center the offense and counter around, they have several and can push the tempo. Krumins said maturity and growth will need to improve over the course of the season. “Slowing the tempo down and making the right decisions,” he said.

The goals are the same. “Competing for league championships, competing for an NCS title,” Krumins said. “We’re a pretty well-balanced team. We have four, five, six, seven players that can contribute at any one time.”

The team will again play without a home pool as construction continues. Krumins said he has been told completion is about 10 weeks out but isn’t counting on any home matches.

“My goal would be to have an alumni game as the first in the new pool,” he said, targeting November or December.

A new global research study commissioned by IBM shows that fans are changing the way they consume sports, turning to new, more dynamic experiences, including the use of AI, personalization and real-time features.

The survey queried more than 20,000 global sports fans across 12 countries, asking them about their habits in consuming sports of all kinds. The results showed that those fans increasingly view technology — particularly AI — as a positive force and that they are using it more often. Total AI usage among fans has grown since 2024 across nearly all markets, with 85% of respondents noting that they saw value in integrating the emerging technology into their sports experience. In addition, 63 percent expressed some level of trust in AI-generated sports content, noting that real-time game/match updates (35%) and personalized content (30%) were their top priorities for AI-enhanced engagement.

The survey also asked fans how often they attend in-person events, with 73% around the world saying that they attend at least one event per year.

When it comes to the digital experience of consuming sports, over half (51%) of the fans surveyed turn to video highlights, with 37% enjoying post-event recaps and 32 percent staying connected to their sport by consuming player interviews. Dedicated mobile sports apps are also important to sports fans: Nearly 75% use them to stay updated.

Social media also remains the leading platform for accessing additional content, with influencers play a prominent role: 59% of fans surveyed engage with influencers for analysis and predictions.

Habits May Shift Again

The survey also shows that fans’ consumption of sports is not only changing now, but will likely continue to change in the future. Only 27% of surveyed fans expect those habits to stay the same over the next two years, with 80% saying technology – specifically AI— will have the greatest influence on how they follow sports by 2027.

More than half (56%) of surveyed fans want AI-powered insights and commentary for past, current and future sporting events. And advances in tech may open up new avenues for future fans in countries where they don’t speak the language. One-third of responders said real-time translation technology will have the most significant impact on their international sports experience in the next 2-3 years — particularly in markets where English is not the dominant language.

“The sports media landscape is more complex than ever, and fans are comfortable consuming digital content around the clock,” said Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s vice president, sports and entertainment partnerships. “With fans signaling their readiness to embrace AI, we will continue working with our tournament, league and media partners to meet fans where they are, whether they’re watching the action in person or enhancing their second-screen experience.”
To access the full report, click here.