Organisations accuse Hili Group of “juggling words and numbers” on Comino development

On Saturday morning, seven organisations 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 organisations accused the Hili Group of “juggling words and numbers” to make their project appear less impactful than it really is, especially in Santa Marija Bay.

This counter-exhibition, which was 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,” the organisations said.

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.

He explained that 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.

Dr Cauchi also stressed that 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, the organisations said that there is “grave concern over accessibility to the area by local people. The proposed hotel and villa complex is to be managed by the luxury hotel group Six Senses ^[1], 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. The organisations argued that 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 Helwa, BirdLife Malta, Nature Trust Malta-FEE, Friends of the Earth, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, and Ramblers’ Association.

Photograph: Moviment Graffitti