Graffitti: What is MIDI’s Manoel Island contract extension based on?

NGO Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar have questioned what the duration of a contract extension to MIDI’s Manoel Island contract is based on.

“MIDI only submitted a masterplan for Manoel Island eight years ago, in 2017. This makes it impossible to claim that they are due a 10-year extension based on delays experienced since then. We invite MIDI to publish their reasoning behind the claim. Until then, the public can look at the facts and come to their own conclusion,” the NGOs said.

Moviment Graffitti was reacting to statements made on the project on Sunday by MIDI CEO Mark Portlli in an interview with MaltaToday, and Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The NGOs said statements by the two are positive signs that their campaign to turn the area into a national park “has become a powerful public force which they cannot ignore.”

“And of course it is! The call to turn Manoel Island into a public park for all to enjoy is nearing 12,000 signatories in its seventh week and has been garnering support from across the board. Clearly, and with very good reason, public opinion aligns with the campaign’s aims,” it said.

They said MIDI has a responsibility towards its shareholders to deliver a return on their investments, something that has not been delivered yet by the development on Tigné.

“On the other hand, parliament has a responsibility towards us, the population of the Maltese Islands, who are uniting in demanding that Manoel Island be retained as a public, green, open space. We are asking that these factors are given their fair weighting during the current negotiations of the concession,” the NGO stated.

In the interview with MaltaToday, Portelli acknowledged the existence of the March 2026 deadline—the original deadline was 2023 and got extended automatically—but said the concession contract does allow for automatic extensions to take into account delays caused by the permitting process and archaeological investigations.

On Sunday, Abela said taking Manoel Island back from the developers would cost government “hundreds of millions”, cautioning it would come at a heavy price. He said other areas could be turned to green spaces, noting several sites have been removed from development zones to create open areas.

“We are not asking Government to expropriate Manoel Island. We are asking for a renegotiation of the contract, based on the contract provisions. The news that emerged shows that the ball is very much in Government’s court. Government would have to decide on any extension that MIDI may claim they are due. It is amply clear that for the project to fulfil its contractual obligations to be substantially complete, MIDI would need more time than it is due,” the NGO said on Monday.

They said government must decide on any compensation but quoting “hundreds of millions” goes above and beyond MIDI’s fair dues.

“While we commend the urban greening initiatives being undertaken, one cannot deny that the public has been losing public open space as it keeps being gobbled up by development. Parliament has struck off swathes of the Sliema and Gżira coastline from the public domain list to make way for private lidos. Manoel Island is therefore the ideal place for a substantial open space in this area, benefitting residents and the rest of the population,” Moviment Graffitti said.

They concluded by urging members of the public to continue signing the petition.

“It is obvious to everyone that public non-commercial green open space is an essential need, and that Manoel Island is perfectly suited to fulfil this role in the most urbanised area of Malta. This plea to common sense triumphs over every other argument. The campaign shall keep pushing for this outcome, for Manoel Island to be a place for all,” they said.