Thursday will see another step in the 20-year saga dominating one of the last frontiers of undeveloped and pristine land in Gozo.

That is because the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) within the Planning Authority is set to make a final decision on an appeal filed by Gozo Prestige Hotels to build a hotel and parking facilities as well as 25 villas, 60 apartments and 200 multi-owner properties at Ħondoq ir-Rummien.

The Ħondoq saga dates back to 2002, when a huge area was acquired from the government by Victor Bajada’s Gozo Prestige, with a planning application having been filed to turn the area into a port and yacht marina along with a 195 bedroom hotel and 300 apartments.

In 2006, the then-Nationalist Government had decided in Cabinet, and behind the backs of the village’s local council, to change the status of Ħondoq bay in the Gozo Local Plan from one where it was in ODZ as an afforestation, to one which would consider “tourism and marine-related development.”

The application for the marina, and what is effectively a whole new village along with it, was rejected by the Planning Authority, but an appeal filed in 2016 has been ongoing ever since – and is set to culminate on Thursday.

The project has been subject to a strong campaign of opposition, spearheaded by Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg – a person who has faced countless efforts to be undermined and even removed from his seat as mayor, but who has persevered admirably in order to protect his locality’s jewel.

A number of NGOs, a coalition of which also spoke out against the application once again this week, have also made their voices heard in a concerted effort to stop the application from going through.

As has been explained in previous editorials on the subject, it is this newspaper’s view that such a massive project has absolutely no place being built in Ħondoq, and that the area should remain absolutely free of development.

If the EPRT changes the Planning Authority’s decision to reject the project, then it will change the face of Gozo forever. It will destroy a pristine part of Gozo’s natural environment and open the floodgates for even more development in the area.

The EPRT must, at all costs, refuse this appeal and consign the project to the dustbin of history once and for all.

However the matter then shouldn’t stop there: Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg told The Malta Independent on Sunday that his mind would not be put at rest before the area is re-classified as an Outside Development Zone, rather than one earmarked for tourism and marine development.

Only that re-classification, which has to come from the government, can fully protect Ħondoq from being developed.

The PL’s electoral manifesto for last March’s election pledged that: “A Labour government has always been clear regarding the safeguarding of Ħondoq ir-Rummien. We assure that this zone will not be developed in any way whilst we see that works will be done to make the bay a nicer place so it can offer a better environment for those who visit.”

Prime Minister Robert Abela had – when questioned about Ħondoq’s planning status – said that the government’s hands were tied because the appeal on the proposed project in the area was still pending, meaning that any change in the status of the land would open up legal issues against the government.

While the government could - application or not – still change the status of the land if it were being done with the good of the country in mind, if the EPRT refuses the developer’s appeal, then there is absolutely no obstacle which should block Ħondoq becoming an ODZ.

It’s time to save Ħondoq – once and for all.