Torrox made a new ‘statement’ as the fastest-growing town in the Malaga Province. During an extraordinary plenary session, the Town Hall approved its municipal budget for 2025: €36.3 million. The new budget will come into effect following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Málaga (BOP).

Mayor Óscar Medina named the budget an “expansive” one. The plan is to strengthen Torrox’s economic momentum. According to the mayor, this is just the beginning of “the best years for Torrox.”

Known as the town with the best climate in Europe, Torrox has risen in the last years, with increases in per capita income, job creation, and quality of life. Mayor Medina wants to continue the growth, and he noted that actual spending could exceed €40 million once surplus funds and the town’s lack of deficit are factored in.

The new budget includes more than €3 million in real investments and forecasts an initial gross savings of over €625,000. In the last ten years, while expanding its population and public services, Torrox’s budget has doubled, from €18.6 million to over €36 million.

The local administration says that it will prioritize sustainable urban growth, quality tourism, and long-standing community needs. At the same time, they want to focus on preserving local traditions and identity.

Read here more news from Axarquia.

The Junta de Andalucía has introduced drones into the daily operations of its environmental agents to enhance the protection and monitoring of the region’s rich natural heritage.

This new Drone Unit, part of the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment, is made up of agents trained and certified to operate UAVs under European safety regulations. The unit was launched in 2022 and it evolved all these years.

Now, the agents have expanded their capabilities with a new non-EASA certificate. This allows them to use drones typically excluded from EU aviation regulations, such as those used in police or military operations, for environmental and territorial surveillance.

Drones now assist the agents in essential tasks such as monitoring conservation work in natural spaces, inspecting administrative cases on the ground, or emergency support during wildfires, floods, or missing person searches.

This ‘drone move’ is part of a strategy to modernize and digitize environmental protection efforts in Andalusia. It enhances data analysis, streamlines fieldwork, and supports real-time decision-making in remote areas.

The use of this modern technology strengthens the role of environmental agents as guardians of Andalusia’s forests, biodiversity, and protected areas.

Read here more news from Axarquia.

Congratulations are due for the conscientious residents of Costa del Sol, who recycle more effectively than anyone else in Andalusia, and, for that matter, anywhere else in Spain, according to 2024 selective waste collection data.

Manuel Cardeña, president of the Mancomunidad de Municipios (commonwealth of municipalities) de la Costa del Sol, has announced that the region’s recycling ratios for light packaging and glass way overpass regional and national averages.

In 2024, the Mancomunidad collected 15.5 million kilos of light packaging, equating to 29.26 kilos per inhabitant annually, compared to the 14.40 kg average in Andalusia and the 20.40 kg average throughout Spain. This was made possible by 4,049 yellow containers, one per 131 residents. Glass recycling also excelled, with 14.9 million kilos collected, or 28.24 kilos per inhabitant (that’s a lot of wine), against 15.30 kg in Andalusia and 19.10 kg in Spain, made possible by 3,514 green containers (one per 151 residents).

Cardeña praised the region’s leadership in transforming waste into resources, thanking residents for their awareness and efficient management and the contractor, Urbaser. He gave special stress to ongoing efforts to further improve these exemplary recycling rates, benefiting both the environment and local economy.