‘It’s Hard To Put This Joy Into Words Right Now,’ Qala’s Paul Buttigieg Says After Landmark Ħondoq Decision
Qala Mayor Paul Buttigieg has expressed that it’s hard to even put the joy he’s feeling right now into words, following the landmark decision on Ħondoq bay.
“It’s difficult to put this joy and the happiness that we have in our family right now into words,” Buttigieg told Lovin Malta.
This comes after the Environment Planning Review Tribunal tribunal rejected the appeal filed by applicant Gozo Prestige, to develop a marina in the pristine bay.
“The struggle that we went through to obtain this result was not a joke,” he expressed.
“We always worked hard to ensure that citizens will be able to continue enjoying Ħondoq, and not for our personal gain.”
“Ħondoq is an important place for the life of the Gozitans and the people of Qala because it’s a place where we relax, swim for free, in the clean sea, and there are also a lot of things to enjoy – even simply sit and look at the sea,” he said.
“Why should this be taken away from us so the capitalists get rich?”
“My dream is that this place becomes a national park where everyone can enjoy it,” he continued.
Buttigieg detailed how the first thing that he would do would be to build a dam in the valley so that the run-off rainwater of Qala would gather there before it ends up lost in the sea. He also expressed how he wants to plant more pomegranate trees in the area.
“That has been my goal, nothing less and nothing more,” he said.
Buttigieg has been at the forefront of the fight to keep Ħondoq available for the public, a 20-year heart-wrenching saga that was finally put to a close today.
What do you make of Buttigieg’s comments?
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