Following ERA’s decision to greenlight the uprooting of 800 trees, as well as heavy construction and excavation works on the Comino nature reserve, we are today launching Comino Watch, calling on the public to immediately report any demolition, excavation or construction works, the uprooting of trees, and the transportation of heavy machinery to Comino.

Members of the public can report any such activity by emailing info@movimentgraffitti.org or sending a message to 7762 1113. 

We are also encouraging people to join the Save Comino WhatsApp group – via https://chat.whatsapp.com/JuimMwYnRxGA9ZHdR8QZQ3 – so that we can immediately inform them of any developments and coordinate action to protect Comino from the greed of Hili Group and the complicity of the public authorities.

ERA’s decision means that Hili Group could begin works on the 44 swimming pools, 16 villas and 140-room hotel in the coming weeks, even as the court case challenging the PA permit issued last year is still ongoing.

The threat posed by this project to Comino is enormous. It would bring intensive, year-round activity to the island’s delicate and already heavily strained environment, while extending the existing development footprint into a large area of untouched garigue land and increasing the overall volume of built development.

We have made our position clear, and we reiterate it today: we will not allow Hili Group to begin defacing Comino while the PA permit is still subject to an ongoing legal challenge. In May, the Court already ruled in our favour on a major point and sent the case back to the Tribunal for reconsideration. The case remains ongoing.

With the support of the general public and several NGOs, we are confident that any works taking place on Comino will be spotted and reported immediately, allowing the necessary action to be taken to protect our nature reserve.

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Jitnieda “Comino Watch” biex jiġu rrappurtati xogħlijiet fuq l-żvilupp ta’ Hili Group f’Kemmuna u biex tittieħed azzjoni kontrihom

Wara d-deċiżjoni tal-ERA li tawtorizza t-tneħħija ta’ 800 siġra u x-xogħlijiet goffi ta’ kostruzzjoni u skavar fir-riżerva naturali ta’ Kemmuna, illum qed inniedu “Comino Watch”. Permezz ta’ din l-inizjattiva, qed nappellaw lill-pubbliku biex jirrapporta immedjatament kwalunkwe xogħol ta’ demolizzjoni, skavar jew kostruzzjoni, it-tneħħija tas-siġar, kif ukoll it-trasport ta’ makkinarju tqil lejn Kemmuna.

Il-pubbliku jista’ jirrapporta kwalunkwe attività ta’ dan it-tip billi jibgħat email fuq info@movimentgraffitti.org jew messaġġ fuq in-numru 7762 1113. 

Qed inħeġġu wkoll lin-nies biex jingħaqdu mal-grupp ‘Save Comino’ fuq WhatsApp – permezz tal-ħolqa https://chat.whatsapp.com/JuimMwYnRxGA9ZHdR8QZQ3 – sabiex inkunu nistgħu ninfurmawhom immedjatament dwar kwalunkwe żvilupp u nikkoordinaw azzjonijiet biex nipproteġu Kemmuna mir-regħba ta’ Hili Group u mill-kompliċità tal-awtoritajiet pubbliċi.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-ERA tfisser li Hili Group jista’ jibda x-xogħlijiet fuq l-44 pixxina, is-16-il villa u l-lukanda b’140 kamra fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin, anke waqt li għadha għaddejja l-kawża l-qorti li tikkontesta l-permess tal-PA maħruġ is-sena l-oħra.

It-theddida li dan il-proġett joħloq għal Kemmuna hija enormi. Il-proġett ser iwassal għal attività intensiva fl-ambjent delikat tal-gżira matul is-sena kollha – ambjent li diġà jinsab taħt pressjoni kbira – filwaqt li jestendi l-footprint tal-iżvilupp eżistenti fuq medda kbira ta’ xagħri li s’issa għadu mhux mittiefes, kif ukoll iżid il-volum tal-bini.

Aħna ppreżentajna l-pożizzjoni tagħna b’mod ċar u llum qed nerġgħu ntennuha: mhux se nħallu lil Hili Group jeqred Kemmuna sakemm il-permess tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) għadu soġġett għal kontestazzjoni legali pendenti. F’Mejju, il-Qorti diġà ħarġet deċiżjoni favurina fuq punt ewlieni u bagħtet il-każ lura lit-Tribunal biex jerġa’ jiġi kkunsidrat. Il-proċeduri legali għadhom għaddejjin.

Bl-appoġġ tal-pubbliku ġenerali u ta’ diversi NGOs, aħna kunfidenti li kwalunkwe xogħol li jsir f’Kemmuna ser jiġi identifikat u rrapportat immedjatament, u b’hekk tittieħed l-azzjoni meħtieġa biex tiġi protetta r-riżerva naturali tagħna.