Prime Minister Robert Abela on Wednesday announced a series of environmental and infrastructure pledges as part of the Labour Party's electoral campaign, including plans to return Manoel Island and Fort Tigné to public use and transform the area into a national park.

Abela said that an agreement had been sealed for Manoel Island and Fort Tigné to "return to the people," describing the move as the fulfilment of a long-held dream for the Maltese and Gozitan public.

He said a future Labour government would introduce changes to the local plan to ensure no further development could take place on Manoel Island, preserving the site for future generations.

The Prime Minister said the government would now move forward with plans to transform the area into a national park that safeguards the island's natural landscapes, beaches and historical heritage.

He added that the national parks planned for Manoel Island, White Rocks and Fort Campbell would become priorities during the next legislature, should Labour be re-elected.

Abela also pledged that public land located within development zones would no longer be used for speculative projects, arguing that Malta was still dealing with the consequences of the 2006 extension of development boundaries introduced by a previous Nationalist administration.

Among the measures announced, the government said it would introduce legal amendments to protect parks and gardens created in recent years from future development, particularly open spaces that had previously been earmarked for construction.

Abela also outlined a series of environmental initiatives, including continued afforestation projects after around 60,000 trees were planted during the current legislature.

One major project will see former quarry land at San Niklaw in Siġġiewi transformed into woodland covering more than 100,000 square metres, complete with mature trees, walking paths and recreational facilities.

Additional restoration projects are planned for Wied Blandun, Wied il-Qlejgħa and Wied il-Għasel.

On waste management, Abela announced that work would begin on a new €75 million organic waste plant designed to convert organic waste into renewable energy and compost.

He spoke of the government's commitment to the waste-to-energy plant project, which is expected to process 192,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste and contribute significantly to Malta's energy supply.

The Prime Minister also said a new facility would be developed within the Ecohive complex to process bulky waste delivered through open-top skips, handling around 50,000 tonnes annually.

In the water and energy sectors, Abela pledged continued investment in reverse osmosis plants and artificial intelligence systems aimed at reducing Malta's dependence on groundwater.

Abela announced plans for a new reverse osmosis plant at Ħal Far to strengthen potable water production in the south of the island.

He further revealed that the government would launch a pilot project to process brine generated from desalination into magnesium that could be sold commercially.

Abela said Malta aims to generate 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, alongside larger projects such as offshore wind farms.

He spoke of a photovoltaic scheme targeting families living in apartments without roof access, enabling around 500 households to purchase solar generation equipment installed on Water Services Corporation facilities.

The government also plans to introduce an "energy-sharing" concept that would allow households unable to invest directly in renewable energy systems to benefit from unused renewable energy generated by other consumers participating in the scheme.

Addressing concerns over urban development, Abela said legal amendments should be considered to provide compensation to owners of rooftop solar panels whose installations are negatively affected by nearby construction projects.

The Prime Minister additionally announced the extension and creation of several major green spaces across Malta.

These include expansions to Wied Inċita, Bengħajsa Park and Salina Park, as well as a new 40,000-square-metre green area in Fgura linking to San Klement Park in Żabbar.

He confirmed that the final phase of works at the Ta' Qali National Park would proceed, while a former recycling plant site in Marsaskala would be converted into an open space covering nearly 24,000 square metres.

Further projects included the creation of St Patrick's Park in Pembroke, the transformation of the area surrounding Fortizza delle Grazie in Xgħajra into open public space, and ongoing efforts to connect gardens in Floriana and Pietà through a wider green network.

Work is also under way at the Pinetum Gardens, while permits have been issued for regeneration works at the Milorda Gardens.