There are lessons to be learned from the campaign to save Wied Għomor. If one believes in the rights of a community, one should stand up and be counted. Never give up.

Protests do not get results as much as education and information campaigns do. When neighbour councils join forces, like the councils of San Ġwann, Swieqi and St Julian’s did, the authorities will listen. The three mayors worked hand in hand. Let this serve as a lesson that councils can indeed influence public decisions.

When on behalf of the Swieqi council I invited environmental NGOs to meet around a table and to advise us we never expected such collective support. We all learnt from each other and the Wied Għomor seminar served as a fountain of information that helped us set a winning strategy.

If residents take initiatives, together they will change the mentality that in our three particular localities, property speculators reign supreme.

A great part of this success is owed to two determined residents from San Ġwann – Sandie Galea and Myriam Warrington. They put their lives and families on hold for 10 weeks to collect signatures and they collected over 5,000.

Finally I wish to thank all the NGO speakers at the hearing in front of the Planning Authority, but in particular I would like to congratulate our local MP Marthese Portelli for her great speech in Parliament. Dr Portelli spoke so well, she researched the law so carefully and made it so easy for the board to throw out the application.

We will not stop here because we have other battles to win. We will prepare ourselves well. Let this be a clear warning to all those developers who think money can buy everything. They will never buy the hearts and minds of the residents of Swieqi, San Ġwann and St Julian’s. We have had enough. We owe it to our future generations.