Moviment Graffitti has said that a month ago, the authority responsible for the environment, the Environment & Resources Authority, granted permission for ”hundreds of trees to be uprooted from Comino – many of them protected by law – in order to make space for a Hili Group project involving a hotel and villas in this natural reserve.”

Graffitti stated that ”the ERA’s decision was taken in secrecy, behind closed doors, when it was supposed to be open to public participation. Therefore, we appealed this decision before the Tribunal (EPRT), and now this permit has been revoked – ”Dr Claire Bonello represented us in the case.”

Meanwhile, Graffitti said that ”the case brought by us and other organisations to revoke the permit issued by the PA to Hili Group for their outrageous project on Comino is still ongoing, and the Court ruling is expected in the coming months.”

Moviment Graffitti concluded by saying that ”until this case is decided in Court, we insist that ERA should not grant any permits for the uprooting of trees on Comino. This is because such tree removal is intrinsically linked to a development permit that is not yet final, and therefore could still be revoked. The fight continues.”

Photo: Moviment Graffitti

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