An appeal has been filed with the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) against the shameful approval by the Planning Authority (PA) of a 140-bed luxury hotel, 16 villas, and 44 swimming pools on Comino.

Ten organisations, along with several individuals, have filed the appeal, which argues that this “intensive development breaches the local plan and multiple policies, including those that designate Comino as a protected nature reserve.”

The organisations said that the appeal was made possible thanks to the public’s generous contributions to a crowdfunding campaign, which will enable us to pursue all possible legal avenues against what they describe as, an “assault on Comino.”

The €20,000 target was reached through over 600 individual donations – “clear evidence of the public’s outrage at the Government’s disregard for our natural heritage and its determination to resist,” stated the organisations.

They argued that despite receiving 13,472 objections, the PA ignored the overwhelming public outcry and Comino’s protected status. “If this project proceeds, Comino as we know it will be lost forever. One of Malta’s last remaining relatively untouched natural sanctuaries risks being turned into yet another privately developed, urbanised zone, causing irreversible environmental harm.”

The organisations said that they “sincerely thank the public for their overwhelming support in this fight against greed. We remain committed to doing everything possible to prevent this travesty from taking place.”

The ten organisations are:

Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura

BirdLife Malta

Din l-Art Helwa

Friends of the Earth Malta

Ghawdix

Moviment Graffitti

Nature Trust – FEE Malta

Ramblers Association

The Archaeological Society Malta

Wirt Ghawdex.

Photo: Organisations as above

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