Manoel Island campaigners submit proposals for national park public consultation

Members of the ‘Manoel Island For Us’ movement have submitted proposals for Manoel Island during the ongoing public consultation process.

The two organisations, Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għall-Ambjent Aħjar, submitted their proposals for Manoel Island, developed following a series of workshops with over 70 participants.

“The ‘Manoel Island: Post Għalina’ campaign played an important role in the fact that today we are talking about Manoel Island as a national park,” Minister for the Environment and Energy, Miriam Dalli said.

At the end of last month, the campaign published a community-driven vision for the future of Manoel Island and urged the public to submit it as part of the government’s ongoing public consultation.

The vision document, downloadable from the campaign’s website, stems from over 200 hours of workshops with more than 70 participants, including Gżira residents, the public, and experts.

Last year, the Manoel Island: Post Għalina campaign, led by activists from Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, mobilised more than 29,000 petition signatures calling for the island to be returned to the public as a national nature and heritage park.

Dalli affirmed the Government’s commitment to transforming White Rocks, Manoel Island, and Fort Campbell into open spaces by the people and for the people.

She also noted that the 'Shape Your Space' campaign has already received 1,300 submissions from the public outlining what they would like to see in these spaces, explaining that emphasis is on Manoel Island's architectural beauty, cultural heritage, and social and environmental aspects. "Above all, we want national parks to be inclusive, transparent, and respectful of the environment and community," she added.

“During public consultations on the three national parks, we met stakeholders and NGOs, including leaders of the ‘Manoel Island: Post Għalina’ campaign. They shared their community research and consultations, and we agreed we share the same vision for this place,” said Perit Beverley Costa, COO of Project Green.