Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insisted this evening that Manoel Island has to remain a green lung. He also did not rule out the possibility that the government buys back the concession.

The MIDI consortium was given a concession over Manoel Island more than a decade ago. Its plans to develop the area into luxury retail outlets and a casino hotel have been known for many years but controversy erupted over the past few days after the issue of accessibility to the public was brought back to the surface. MIDI insists that 62% of Manoel Island will be designated as public open space, including an 80,000 square metre park.

Speaking to journalists, Dr Muscat said the government had seen various presentations by the developers. “Our reaction has always been that they should speak to the community. The community is angry and should not be made to feel excluded from Manoel Island. We would like to see the least possible development and the most possible open space.”

Asked if the government would consider buying back the concession, the PM said nothing could be ruled out. He said, however, that this was not a matter of seizing people’s property.

The PM said the government would keep monitoring the situation.

Dr Muscat said he supported Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché, who, along with a number of activists has led the campaign for public access. The Mayor said last week that MIDI’s latest masterplan was “completely unacceptable.”

AD has called for a full investigation to see whether the contract had been breached while Partit Demokratiku urged the government to buy back the 99-year concession, which was granted in 2000.