Environmental groups will be hoping for a green budget that sees sufficient funds set aside to promote sustainable energy initiatives and preserve the Island’s parklands.

Finance Minister, Bob Richards is set to outline the eagerly awaited budget for 2015-2016 tomorrow in the House of Assembly.

But some green groups fear that the pressing need to cut spending to balance the Budget book could have an adverse affect on environmental issues.

Stuart Hayward, chairman of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST), told The Royal Gazette that he would like to see environmental issues put at the top of Budget agenda.

“We would like to see a shift in attention that reflects a realignment of budget priorities,” he said.

“We are glad to see that Environmental Impact Assessments are getting more attention because there is evidence that shows early EIAs can save considerable expense in the long term.”

Mr Hayward urged Government to put more resources towards tackling planning infringements and creating a national standard for exhaust fumes, which has been promised for several years but never acted on.

“With planning issues there is a need for stricter enforcement these days,” he said.

“The human resources for that enforcement have not been what they need to be, and we would like to see a bolstering of this area.

“We would also like to see some movement on the creation of a standard for exhaust fumes.

“This has been talked about for years and the initial idea was to take two years’ worth of measurements to come up with a Bermuda standard. But we do not seem to have progressed at all.

“From an environmental point of view we need to develop that standard and act on it — it would be good to see some movement on this in the Budget.”

BEST hopes that the Budget statement will also include clear evidence of progress and finances being put in place for the Southlands public park project.

Mr Hayward said: “There are also issues around our parklands that need to be addressed; whether is proposed parks like Southlands of existing ones like that Botanical Gardens and the Arboretum.

“Cuts have been in this area in the past, and in this budget we would like to see signs of progress with the Southlands project.

“The Ministry of Environment comes under health now, which seems to suggest that less attention is given to environmental issues.

“It would be good to see the environment given the attention and support that was heralded by the sustainable development initiative.”

Meanwhile, the executive director of Keep Bermuda Beautiful, Anne Hyde, said she would like to see Government reintroduce free residential bulky waste collection, even if it is carried out only on a periodic basis.

“As we see it, these things are now being dumped illegally so we will have to deal with the cost of collecting it sooner or later,” she said.

“While it may cost a little up front, it will cost less in the long term.”

Asked if there was anything she did not want to see in the budget, she said: “Our real concern at this stage is that with the America’s Cup coming, and because of the haste in which we need to react, we hope that no environmental short cuts are being taken.”