Lack of transparency, "arrogance" and "doublespeak" – these are just some of the accusations levelled at Government following a spate of Special Development Orders and controversial planning decisions.

Over the past 18 months, environmentalists have rallied in force against proposals for a new hospital on the site of the Botanical Gardens and a cliffside resort at Southlands.

The two issues seemed to create a loud force to be reckoned with. The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce came to the fore, led by veteran environmentalist Stuart Hayward, and green issues became a burning issue in cafes, homes, schools and workplaces across the Island.

So had Government failed in its responsibility as the steward of our Island home? Plans with the Bermuda Hospitals Board for a $500 million hospital at the Botanical Gardens left many shellshocked.

The replacement for the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital would have covered ten acres – 30 percent of the Gardens, considered one of the Island's prime beauty spots.

As grassroots activism gained momentum, thousands signed an online petition to Save The Gardens, campaigners staged a music festival, and eventually the plug was pulled on the controversial development. Ultimately, Government dropped the plan, and now seem to be looking at a phased development of the existing site.

And then came Southlands. Plans by developers to build a 311-suite multi-storey resort provoked public protests while a petition to 'Save South Shore' drew more than 3,200 signatures.

Environmental campaigners said the 497-bed resort would wipe out coastal wildlife habitats and destroy one of the Island's last remaining areas of open space. Members of the public also feared traffic congestion, and objected angrily to the proposed diversion of South Shore Road through a tunnel.

When Government finally approved the Special Development Order in July, politicians and residents then accused the PLP of riding roughshod over public opinion.

BEST chairman Mr. Hayward said: "Save The Gardens evolved into Save South Shore when the Southlands issue arose. It became clear that we didn't just want to be reacting to attacks on the environment. We wanted to educate against and prevent environmental problems as well as 'put out fires', so SSS metamorphed into BEST."

The group now keeps a beady eye on Government decisions.

Meanwhile, other planning decisions vexed the public. In May – Heritage Month – Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield delisted the Grade One 'Queen of the East', leaving it vulnerable to demolition. The 1740s merchant's house sits in an area of prime real estate along East Broadway and is gradually being dwarfed by office developments.

Conservationist Andrew Trimingham, a former chairman of the Historic Buildings Advisory Committee, called for Ms Butterfield's resignation, saying: "This is an outrageous assault on our history and environment."

Ironically, four months later the Minister then refused an appeal for a domestic wind turbine after Planning officers said it would have a "visual impact" on a Grade Two-listed property.Despite the Ministry's pledge to encourage renewable energy on the Island, the 6.5-foot horizontal wind turbine in Harbour Road, Warwick, was rejected. Applicant Tim Miller, a partner in eco-company gogreen.bm, appealed, and Ms Butterfield's refusal led sustainable development group Greenrock to accuse Government of lack of consistency in policy and "doublespeak".

And then there are the Special Development Orders. Government has passed nine since it was re-elected in July 2003. Guidelines state an SDO should only be issued in cases of "strategic, national importance or priority". Many residents however, feel Government is too ready to hand them out.

In December, the Bermuda National Trust expressed "grave concern" at the increasing number of SDOs. Its environmental conservation officer Dorcas Roberts warned: "A dangerous precedent has been set whereby SDOs are used to enable large tourism developments to opt out of Bermuda's planning process.

"Large-scale developments have the greatest potential to cause environmental damage and therefore it is vital that such developments be addressed in a rigorous, scientific and transparent manner."

The SDO for Southlands led Shadow Environment Minister Cole Simons to accuse Government of "arrogance" and of being "cavalier". He called for a moratorium on all SDOs until the revision of the Bermuda Development Plan – already five years late. Government has now pledged to implement the ten-year land use blueprint in 2008.

Mr. Hayward claims SDOs are being used to "bypass and even subvert" the Planning process. He said: "Ministerial decisions have ignored or contradicted the advice of highly-specialised consultants and experts within governmental environment protection agencies."

Mr. Hayward said that despite Government signing the Environmental Charter for UK Overseas Territories in 2001, it has been "repeatedly ignored". He said Government has failed to 'undertake environmental impact assessments before approving major projects' and to 'commit to open and consultative decision-making' with the public.

"These two clauses are the ones most blatantly and needlessly bypassed, ignored or short-changed by policymakers," said Mr. Hayward.

"It would be unfair to say that the Government's environmental record is all bad, but very appropriate to say that the Government has done much less than it should have and far less than it could have."

He added: "For almost the past decade, the Government has made notably few purchases of open land to add to the stock of public open space."

Mr. Hayward claimed Government has also "consistently lapsed in its environmental duties in enforcement", particularly with litter.

But he added: "There are a number of very good people within the Government who do their utmost to fulfill their mandate to protect Bermuda's fragile environment.

"We do acknowledge their hard work and dedication. Without their efforts, the overall Government record would doubtless be worse."

In the PLP manifesto released yesterday, a number of environmental initiatives were proposed, including encouraging greater use of alternative energy, including offshore wind techmnologies and using tax incentives to encourage environmentally friendly policies and mandatory standards on gas emissions.

Free public transport announced in the manifesto is also aimed at reducing congestion and emissions.

At the same time, the manifesto said Government would increase the hotel room inventory to 10,000 beds from the current 6,000, which will put pressure on the Island's infrastructure.

So what has Government So what has Government done for the environment? The PLP's 2003 'Agenda for Bermuda' pledged:

● An Energy Plan to reduce the Island's reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy sources.

Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield said: "Bellco has produced a ten year plan for energy generation in Bermuda. Departments within the Ministry are responsible for regulating the outputs from Belco under the Clean Air Act, and Government, as part of the Sustainable Development Plan, will continue to work with Belco to ensure the sustainability of our energy supply."

● A recycling plant and public education campaign.

Government opened the Recycling Centre at Bailey's Bay Quarry in April. The $8.35 million plant recycles tin, aluminium and glass and a recycling awareness programme has been rolled out in homes, schools and businesses.

● Amendments to the Waste and Litter Control Act 1987 with greater penalties for violations.

The Bottle Bill – outlined in the Throne Speech will encourage people to leave beverage containers at roadside drop-off points in exchange for a deposit refund.

Ms Butterfield says the Parks Act is also to be amended "to give Park Rangers the authority to issue citations for infractions". She has also pledged another 54 acres of nature reserve, 102 acres of parkland and 435 acres of marine park.

● A sustainable development forum "to better integrate environmental considerations into the decision-making and policy-making process".

Government has formed the independent Sustainable Development Roundtable to advise on sustainable measures in economics, the environment, social policy and culture.

Following public consultation, Government also produced a Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan - but this is still being finalised and has yet to go before Cabinet.

Kimberley McKeown, acting Director of Sustainable Development, said: "In the absence of a final plan, the draft plan was approved by Cabinet and a number of the sustainable development actions that cut across all Government ministries have, or are currently in the process of being implemented."

● A White Paper on Marine Resources and the Fishing Industry in Bermuda.

Produced in June 2005. Government is compiling a report into the economic feasibility of longline fishing in our waters – a controversial method for many environmentalists due to bycatch.

● Conservation: Government pledged to protect indigenous species of plants, animals, birds and marine life with the signing of the Environment Charter in 2001. The Protected Species Act 2003 necessitates an action plan for each species listed.

Ms Butterfield told The Royal Gazette: "To date, 13 of 18 recovery plans have been drafted and implementation has begun on several of the highest priority organisms."

This year, seeds and spores have been banked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as part of the Flowering Plants Recovery and Fern Recovery Plans. A fish hatchery has been installed at Coney Island and action plans for Queen Conch, seahorses, and other marine species are underway.

Government has also banned anti-fouling paints and herbicides such as Irgarol and Diuron which harm marine life and coral reefs.

Among the Ministry of the Environment's achievements over the past four years, Ms Butterfield also lists:

● Landscaping crews have planted more than 12,000 annuals and 500 native and endemic plants in park areas

● Salt Marsh restoration and timber boardwalk, Cooper's Island Nature Reserve

● Interpretative signs for the Railway Trail – to be installed next year

● Redesign of the Formal Gardens, Botanical Gardens – completion due in March, about two years after it was started. The feature includes a Persian Garden and Zen Garden

● Mercury report - the Custodian of Wrecks is researching levels of mercury, omega-3 fatty acids and selenium in local fish with scientists at Laval University in Quebec. It is the first report on the health benefits and threats posed by local fish consumption

● Cahow translocation – 2007 is the fourth year of the project at Nonsuch Island to establish a new nesting colony on elevated land. This year 24 Cahows successfully fledged from the island. There was a record number of nesting pairs at 80, which produced 39 chicks.