Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg has spoken about his extreme satisfaction over a decision made last Tuesday by the Appeals Court, which confirmed the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT)’s decision to reject an appeal filed by a developer to overturn the Planning Authority’s refusal of a development project in Hondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo.

Buttigieg, who has spearheaded all opposition to the project for two decades, told The Malta Independent on Sunday that this should be the end of the saga.

He announced the final decision in a post on Facebook, where he said that the judgment given by the Court of Appeals confirmed that the developer’s plans for a yacht marina and a tourism village will not take place.

Asked if he anticipates another attempt from a developer to propose projects for the area, Buttigieg adamantly said that “they can try, and we will start another saga if that happens.”

He said that the decision was final, and the developers can no longer appeal.

Both government and the opposition welcomed the final judgment, with Prime Minister Robert Abela saying that the decision confirmed “our consistent position against development in Hondoq.”

Buttigieg said that the political will of bothj major parties should be to proceed with the expropriation of the land to turn Hondoq ir-Rummien into a national park, to be enjoyed by the public, and to further reassure that there will be no other development by anyone.

Buttigieg said that the Qala local council already has plans for this national park, and he is convinced it will be done, as it is listed in the Labour Party electoral programme.

“This has come at a very big personal cost, to me and my whole family. They wanted vindication, and have tried everything to get me out of the way, to remove me as mayor,” Buttigieg said.

He continued that whoever tried to disagree with his position did not manage to remove him, as he has always remained open on opposing any development in Hondoq.

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 had been ongoing ever since. It has now been finalized as of last week.