Next Thursday, the Planning Authority is set to decide on Hili’s proposal for a hotel and villas on the Comino nature reserve. With this in mind, Moviment Graffitti said that today it is revealing “the harm the Six Senses luxury franchise has caused in other ecologically sensitive locations.”

In 2023, the organisation said that it was announced that the proposed Hili development on Comino would form part of the Six Senses franchise, “in a statement filled with buzzwords about sustainability and respect for nature.”

Graffitti said that it has spoken to environmental activists in Ibiza who shared how “the same buzzwords and grand promises were used by Six Senses to promote the development of a hotel on their island. Once constructed, the reality was far less appealing: Six Senses began taking over public spaces and polluting the surroundings, to the detriment of locals and the natural environment.”

The video can be watched by clicking here.

In Malta, the organisation said that “the Planning Authority has ignored an unprecedented number of objections to this development, as well as the advice of environmental experts, by recommending approval of this complex that will be operated by the same Six Senses brand.”

Graffitti argued that “in Santa Marija Bay alone, the construction of 16 villas with pools, along with a jetty and commercial establishments, would result in a staggering increase in building volume. The intensified use of this area – compared to the former hotel bungalows and especially its current tranquil state – would transform Santa Marija Bay into an exclusive village with year-round occupancy.”

It also reiterated comments made in the past that “no assessment has been carried out to determine whether this development and its associated activities are compatible with the carrying capacity of the nature reserve.”

“By recommending approval, the Planning Authority has once again demonstrated its willingness to bow to corporate greed at the expense of the people and nature of the Maltese Islands,” stated moviment Graffitti.

The organisation concluded by saying that “Comino is a Natura 2000 site and an area of exceptional ecological and social value. The Planning Board should uphold Malta’s legal and moral obligations to protect such sites by categorically refusing a project that would inflict serious damage to our common heritage.”

Photo and video Moviment Graffitti

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