Nature Trust Malta, the environmental NGO has called on the government and MEPA not to sanction the Hondoq ir-Rummien project. The NGO considers this application as a moment of truth for the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Cabinet recently pushed forward, and succeeded in extending the development zones by a further 2.4 per cent despite popular opposition and is now faced with a massive project that is Outside Development Zone. If accepted, apart from additionally increasing the development zones and setting a precedent, it means that the permanent boundaries are not permanent at all and the Cabinet must give explanations.

The environmental NGO considers the proposed project unacceptable as it aims to develop a site which includes the only beach available for recreation during the prevailing north west wind. The development is mostly of the multi-ownership type that has repeatedly entered the market of speculative property business in recent times. The already popular beach deserves to be enhanced to attract families, tourists and divers and the yacht marina considered after appropriate studies done at already existing sites such as Mgarr harbour.

NTM favours a restoration project based on forestry for this particular site due to its outstanding ecological and scenic value and beauty. Such a restoration project can be financially feasible without the need to construct large, obtrusive structures with high impact.

NTM points out that the site is next to a recently established Dark Sky Heritage site, which is a big asset for promoting and preserving the rural aspect of Gozitan landscape, itself the main characteristic for successfully branding the island. Accepting the proposed project by ignoring the work to establish the Dark Sky Heritage site, means that the government?s left hand and its MEPA are not aware of what the right hand is doing.

Finally, the environmental NGO is concerned that the same mitigating measures for controlling silt and hard stone and soft stone waste created during the development that pollute the crystal clear sea, which failed miserably at the Hilton project and the ongoing Cirkewwa sea terminal project, are again proposed for use here.