Activists campaigning for Manoel Island to be returned to public ownership are urging people to submit a community-led vision for the site to the government's ongoing park consultation.
The Manoel Island: Post Għalina campaign argues that once the island is opened to the public, and proposes practical coastal infrastructure such as ladders and showers to enable safe swimming access around the island.
The campaign is also calling for the monitoring of fireworks to prevent bush fires, the removal of invasive alien species, and strong environmental protections across the site.
Led by Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, the campaign published its vision document on Friday. The NGOs said the proposal is the result of around 200 hours of discussions involving 70 participants.
According to the campaign, Manoel Island should become "a safe and peaceful refuge from urban noise" that also serves as a haven for nature and cultural heritage, supporting mental, physical and social wellbeing.
The activists behind the campaign were named Times of Malta's Person(s) of the Year for 2025 after mobilising tens of thousands of people, shifting public opinion and prompting the government and developers to reconsider plans for one of Malta's most contested public spaces.
The campaign was launched in March last year by a coalition of 29 civil society organisations seeking to transform the Gżira island into a national park. The coalition gathered nearly 29,000 petition signatures calling for the island's return to the public.
Its vision for the proposed park is based on four core principles: free and safe access for all, the integration of health and wellbeing, the preservation of cultural memory, and respect for ecological systems.
If designed around these values, the campaign says the 30-hectare island could become a refuge from noise and light pollution, remain free of vehicular traffic, and be fully accessible to children, older people and those with mobility needs. The plan also envisages spaces for physical activity, creativity and quiet recreation, the sensitive reuse of Fort Manoel, the Lazzaretto and other historic structures, and the application of rewilding principles to support biodiversity.
The campaign is also calling for community guardianship and enforcement mechanisms, alongside strong safeguards against future encroachment.
Any small-scale economic activity permitted on the island, it adds, should be tightly regulated, community-run and aimed solely at sustaining the park.
More information here