Seven environmental organisations have set up an online petition urging the planning authority to reject an application to build a €120 million tourist complex at Gozo’s Ħondoq ir-Rummien Bay and instead convert it into a national park.

Drawn up and backed by Moviment Ħarsien Ħondoq, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar,Ramblers Association, Nature Trust, Friends of the Earth Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa and Wirt Għawdex, the petition welcomes the recent recommendation by the planning authority’s environment protection unit to turn down the project.

Describing it as “objectionable”, the environment unit had slammed the proposed project andassessment report commissioned by the developer, saying that parts of it were “duly biased”.

The project proposes a five-star hotel, 285 flats and villas, 731 underground parking spaces, 10 shops, five restaurants and a marina for150 boats.

The environmental groups claimed that the policy for Ħondoq Bay in the Gozo and Comino local plan had been changed without consultation “from one in favour of rehabilitation, to one in favour of development”.

This policy, they said, should instead be in line with what the planning authority and Qala council had agreed in 2002, designating the area as outside scheme – either for agricultural use or afforestation, the petition states.

However, the NGOs said that without consultation, the draft local plan published in 2006 stated that the “preferred use is to sensitively develop the area, and tourism and marine-related development may be considered by the planning authority”.

The petition points out that even Mepa’s auditor had said that the substantial changes carried out to the draft local plans should have undergone public consultation.

“It is now clear that the public, environmental groups, and Qala council would not have condoned these changes. Therefore it is being requested that Ħondoq be returned to its previous ODZ status,” the petition said. Ħondoq should be turned into a national park, run by the council, and rehabilitated into an open space for everyone to enjoy, the petition states.

The petition can be found at http://raxerri.com/soshondoq .