Momentum is calling on the government to buy back the remaining rights under the 150-year emphyteutical concession covering the Comino Hotel and bungalow area, arguing that the island should be permanently protected from large-scale development.
The concession dates back to 1960, when Malta was still under British colonial rule, and is due to run until 2110, meaning around 84 years remain on the agreement, the party said in a statement Sunday.
Momentum said the government should seriously explore buying back the remaining rights, particularly given that the proposed redevelopment of the area has not yet taken place.
The party said the annual ground rent attached to the concession is around €11,768, describing this as "the cost of renting two or three bungalows for a week".
It said that, as a starting point for assessing the cost of buying back the deed, the government should examine the value of the remaining ground-rent payments over the approximately 84 years left on the concession. In simple nominal terms, Momentum said, this amounts to less than €1 million.
The final amount would have to be established through a fair and independent valuation and negotiations with the concession holder, it added.
Momentum General Secretary Mark Camilleri Gambin said the long period remaining on the concession should not be treated as a reason to leave the issue to future generations.
"The fact that the concession has such a long period remaining should not be seen as a reason to leave the issue for future generations. On the contrary, it is precisely why the government should act now. Momentum believes that the current public and political consensus around protecting Comino creates a unique opportunity."
He said members of Parliament on both sides of the House had expressed their desire to see Comino protected.
"Rather than continuing to argue about how much development the island can accommodate, the government should use this broad political support to deliver something genuinely national: the permanent protection of Comino."
"This could become another national project in which the Government, the Opposition, environmental organisations, local communities, and the public work together to ensure that Comino remains one of Malta's most important natural assets."
"The government has repeatedly spoken about the need to protect Malta's remaining natural spaces. It should now put those words into practice," he said.
Momentum said it was particularly concerned about the cumulative impact of the proposed development, pointing to Comino's limited infrastructure and resources.
It raised concerns about increased tourism and visitor numbers, additional boats and marine traffic, beach buggies and other vehicles, the island's limited freshwater resources, wastewater and drainage capacity and the discharge of wastewater into the sea.
It also spoke of increased electricity and infrastructure requirements, light pollution, additional waste generation and disposal, pressure on the Blue Lagoon and other sensitive areas, as well as the possibility of creating a permanent, year-round population and associated activity on an island whose carrying capacity is already under "enormous pressure".
Momentum said the issue went beyond whether a new hotel would be attractive, arguing that the central question was whether Comino could physically and environmentally sustain another major tourism development.
Camilleri Gambin said the existing buildings did not necessarily have to be left abandoned.
"Following an environmental assessment, the government could consider removing the structures and restoring the site to nature. Alternatively, parts of the existing buildings could potentially be converted into an environmental research facility or wildlife rehabilitation centre, provided that such uses are compatible with the island's ecological sensitivities."
Momentum said Malta had an opportunity to make a different choice rather than leaving future generations to deal with the consequences of another major tourism development.
It called on the government to commission an independent valuation of the remaining Comino concession, establish the cost of securing its voluntary surrender or buy-back, and examine its value without assigning speculative value to future large-scale development.
It also called for negotiations with the concession holder for the return of the concession to the Maltese government, a commitment to protecting Comino from large-scale commercial development once the concession is returned, and a long-term ecological restoration and management plan for the island.