Moviment Graffitti has announced a crowdfunding campaign to appeal the ERA permit for the uprooting of trees and construction works on the Comino Nature Reserve, as well as to finance future actions aimed "at saving Comino from greed."

"ERA's shameful decision last Friday to allow the uprooting of 800 trees and greenlight heavy construction works in a highly sensitive environment was a betrayal of its mission to protect our environment," Moviment Graffitti said in a statement on Thursday.

It said that ERA had instead chosen to do the bidding for the developers, Hili Group.

The controversy on the site surrounds the approval of the preliminary environmental programme for the proposed Six Senses Comino development by the ERA.  This will see 678 trees and shrubs cleared from the site, including 54 protected trees. Another 348 trees, all but seven of which are protected, will be transplanted.

The project developers HV Hospitality, a subsidiary of Hili Group, is legally required to plant 10 trees from the same Maltese genetic stock for every tree that is not successfully transplanted and must also plant 540 trees to make up for the 54 protected trees to be removed.

The project itself, which is made up of a 71-room hotel, 16 villas and 44 swimming pools, was approved by the Planning Authority but is currently under appeal after NGOs filed a court case against the decision. The ERA's decision has prompted anger from environmentalists, who had called on the authority to postpone its hearing until the appeal is decided upon. 

"Unfortunately, ERA's approval did not only accept the uprooting of trees and heavy construction works, but in practice also allowed Hili Group to start construction works while its PA permit is not definitive, with a Court process ongoing and the Court ruling in our favour on one major ground just last May, sending the case back to the Tribunal for reconsideration," Moviment Graffitti said.

The NGO said that although it is determined to appeal the ERA permit for the uprooting of trees and construction works, this alone will regrettably not stop Hili Group from commencing works, since works will not be suspended while the case is being heard.

The NGO said that it is therefore also inviting the public to remain on alert and give us their details - by filling in this form: https://comino.movimentgraffitti.org/ - so that other actions can be taken when needed. More information will be announced in the coming days, it said.

"We are aware that here we are up against some of the most powerful interests operating within our country. However, we are convinced that the people's love for Comino can win over greed and complicity," Graffitti said.

The NGO said that people could donate to the cause through an online form or via bank transfer

https://whydonate.com/fundraising/save-comino via a bank transfer to this account (write Save Comino in the transfer's description):

BOV

Name: Moviment Graffitti