Seven organisations have staged a joint counter-exhibition in response to Hili Group’s presentation of their plans for redeveloping the old Comino Hotel site along with a complex of villas in Santa Marija Bay.

The counter-exhibition, held outside the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, highlighted the discrepancies between the “sustainable vision” presented by the developers and the reality of the impact such a development would have on Comino, particularly in the peaceful sanctuary of Santa Marija Bay.

Environmental scientist Dr. John Paul Cauchi cited the many ways this proposed development would impact the peaceful Comino landscape, using Hili Group’s own figures and architectural plans to demonstrate the extent of the problem. The organisations accuse Hili Group of juggling words and numbers to make their project appear less impactful than it really is, especially in Santa Marija Bay.

In Santa Marija Bay alone, the construction of 19 villas with pools and amenity buildings would see an increase of 49% of building volume, along with a new pier servicing the increase in visiting boats in the bay. Part of this complex will be built on untouched natural land, resulting in a 13% increase in footprint. The intensified use of this area, compared to the previous hotel bungalows and especially the current tranquil state, would see Santa Marija Bay transformed into an elite village with year-round occupancy.

On the topic of the sustainability of the project he said, “The only way this proposed project can be sustainable is by not building it.”

The organisations have been emphasising how developers such as Hili Group are not God’s gift to the nation. These entities exploit our common heritage for their personal profits and elbow the public out in the process.

The counter-exhibition also contained information about the rich biodiversity threatened by the proposed development.

As well as the environmental impact, there is grave concern over accessibility to the area by local people. The proposed hotel and villa complex is to be managed, it has been discovered, by the luxury hotel group Six Senses, which will likely put the hotel well out of the reach of all but the very wealthiest locals and tourists.

The proposed development on Comino is still being considered by the Planning Authority, and has been the subject of massive public anger already. Hili Group’s attempts to greenwash the project are unlikely to improve public opinion.

The public presentation was organised by Moviment Graffitti, Din l-Art Ħelwa, BirdLife Malta, Nature Trust Malta-FEE, Friends of the Earth, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, and Ramblers’ Association.

Seba’ NGOs ambjentali organizzaw kontro-wirja konġunta b’reazzjoni għall-preżentazzjoni tal-pjanijiet għall-iżvilupp tal-lukanda antika ta’ Kemmuna ta’ Hili Group li ser jiġbor fih ukoll kumpless ta’ vilel fil-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija.

Fil-kontro-wirja, li saret barra d-Dar tal-Mediterran għall-Konferenzi fil-Belt Valletta, ġew enfasizzati d-diskrepanzi bejn il-“viżjoni sostenibbli” li qegħdin jippreżentaw l-iżviluppaturi u r-realtà tal-impatt li ser ikollu żvilupp bħal dan fuq Kemmuna, partikolarment fis-santwarju kwiet tal-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija.

Ix-xjenzat ambjentali Dr John Paul Cauchi elenka l-modi kif dan l-iżvilupp ser jimpatta l-pajsaġġ kwiet ta’ Kemmuna. Huwa uża n-numri u l-pjanti ta’ Hili Group stess biex jagħti stampa ċara tal-problemi li ser joħolqu. L-għaqdiet insistew li l-Hili Group qegħdin joskuraw il-kliem u n-numri sabiex il-proġett tagħhom joħroġ jidher li ser ikollu inqas impatt milli fil-verità ser ikollu, speċjalment fuq il-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija.

Fil-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija biss, il-bini ta’ 19-il villa b’pixxini u binjiet oħra tas-servizzi ser jikkostitwixxi żieda ta’ 49% fil-volum tal-bini, flimkien ma’ moll ġdid għad-dgħajjes deħlin fil-bajja. Parti minn dan il-kumpless ser tinbena fuq art naturali mhux mittiefsa. Dan ser iżid l-impatt ekoloġiku tal-proġett bi 13%. L-użu intensiv ta’ din iż-żona, meta tqabblu mal-bungalows tal-lukanda preċedenti u tqisu fil-kuntest tal-istat trankwill attwali, ser jibdel il-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija f’raħal lussuż u okkupat tul is-sena kollha.

Dwar l-allegata sostenibbiltà tal-proġett kompla żied li “l-uniku mod kif dan il-proġett propost jista’ jkun sostenibbli huwa billi ma jinbeniex.”

L-organizzazzjonijiet ilhom jenfasizzaw kif żviluppaturi bħal Hili Group mhumiex rigal ta’ Alla lin-nazzjon. Dawn l-entitajiet jisfruttaw il-wirt komuni tagħna għall-profitti personali tagħhom u jqaċċtu l-barra lill-pubbliku fil-proċess.

Il-kontro-wirja ġabret ukoll informazzjoni dwar il-bijodiversità rikka mhedda mill-iżvilupp propost.

Minbarra l-impatt ambjentali, jeżisti tħassib serju dwar kemm ser tibqa’ aċċessibbli ż-żona għan-nies lokali. Il-kumpless ta’ lukandi u vilel ser jitmexxa minn grupp ta’ lukandi lussużi Six Senses, li x’aktarx ser ifisser kumpless għall-iktar nies sinjuri fuq il-gżira, inkluż l-iktar turisti sinjuri li jżuruha.

L-iżvilupp propost fuq Kemmuna għadu qiegħed jiġi kkunsidrat mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u huwa sors ta’ rabja kbira fost il-pubbliku. L-isforzi ta’ Hili Group biex jagħtu xeħta ekoloġika lill-proġett x’aktarx mhumiex ser jintlaqgħu tajjeb mill-pubbliku.

Il-wirja ġiet organizzata mill-Moviment Graffitti, Din l-Art Ħelwa, BirdLife Malta, Nature Trust Malta-FEE, Friends of the Earth, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar u l-Assoċċjazzjoni tar-Ramblers ta’ Malta.