Speaking in parliament last night, Mr parnis said Wied Garnaw is one of the last remaining green areas in the highly industrialised south of Malta and serves as the green lung for the people living in Paola, Santa Lucija, Gudja, Tarxien, Luqa and Ghaxaq.

He spoke at length about the Save Wied Garnaw Action Group, which is a non-political group dedicated to preserving Wied Garnaw as open countryside.

He said residents in the south of Malta already suffer enough with the power station and other industries and promised the residents that they will find his support because his priority was to safeguard their interests.

Mr Parnis mentioned that the developer who applied for the permit should publish the Environmental Impact Assessment for it to be studied.

The Save Wied Garnaw Action Group has already called on the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to reject the application on the grounds that the area is outside development zone.

It has also asked Mepa to preserve the valley as an important agricultural area for the south of Malta.