Former Environment Minister Walter Roban wouldn’t comment yesterday on suggestions of “hypocrisy” on the part of the Progressive Labour Party over the compulsory purchase of citizens’ land in Tucker’s Town.

Writing to The Royal Gazette, Robert Davies Jr criticised the Opposition for demonstrating in favour of a commission of inquiry to investigate the Island’s history of alleged “land grabs”, pointing out that the PLP administration had in 2011 backed a special development order (SDO) for Tucker’s Point and its surroundings.

However, the cultural baggage attached to the land, from which mainly black Bermudian families had been evicted during the 1920s to make way for tourism development, drew flak from activists who accused Government of denigrating the property’s legacy.

Tucker’s Town issues resurfaced during last month’s parliamentary debate, strongly supported by the Opposition, over a proposed commission to investigate Bermuda’s alleged history of property theft.

That commission, approved by Parliament, has yet to be endorsed by Governor George Fergusson, who refused to sign his approval and requested further clarification of the issue.

Mr Fergusson’s decision prompted an Opposition-led march on Government House in protest — but yesterday realtor Ian Waddington also questioned the PLP’s rationale for promulgating a commission that could potentially look into the acquisition of land at the Hamilton Parish site.

“The PLP are calling for us to go into this in more detail, but at the same time, the same group as Government gave away land that was there as woodland for the enjoyment of Bermudians — I think people need to be reminded of this,” Mr Waddington said.

“It wasn’t public land, but it was land that had been zoned in such a way as to be set aside. To give someone an SDO, it really has to be in the public interest. It has to benefit the entire nation, not just banks.”

Mr Roban said yesterday he stood by his remarks as Minister when the SDO was approved under the former PLP Government.

When the order was tabled in March of that year, Mr Roban noted that SDOs were traditionally regarded by their critics as “a way to circumvent the normal planning process — but they are, in fact, an important tool for the Minister to respond to strategic, national issues and to the development needs of the day”.

He added: “The Tucker’s Point Resort residential development is one of those developments which urgently needs an SDO. I wish to highlight that the Ministry is handling this in an extremely transparent manner, including tabling it in the Legislature for debate and granting in-principle approval only, rather than final approval, thereby requiring the developer to satisfy the Department of Planning before final approval is granted.”

Calling the development of the ailing Castle Harbour resort vital for Bermuda’s future, Mr Roban told MPs during the subsequent SDO debate that overseas investors were watching the development very closely.

“A vote yes would signal that Bermuda is open for foreign investment, that we are open to business and for business,” Mr Roban told a March 28, 2011 session of Parliament. “A vote no would signal the opposite.”

On that occasion, an amended version of the SDO was passed with bipartisan support: 18 PLP votes, plus ten United Bermuda Party MPs and one Bermuda Democratic Alliance MP voting in favour.

It was the first SDO to undergo parliamentary debate, as the controversial development orders had previously been subject simply to the Minister’s approval.

At the time, the implications of the SDO on the Tucker’s Town legacy drew the ire of opponents, included Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB). The group branded the SDO “a slap in the face to the original residents and their descendants”.

Mr Roban responded that Government was “very mindful of Bermuda’s history and the legacies that continue to this day”, adding: “Its efforts to create a new social balance that brings equity to all Bermudians are the foundations of its numerous programmes and policies.”

He said the development stood to enhance tourism with the Island’s “environmental, economic and social needs in mind”.