Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield's delaying of her decision on whether to approve the controversial Southlands development is a "shameless sham", it was claimed in the Senate yesterday.

Opposition Senator Bob Richards said Ms Butterfield would not dare to defy her boss, the Premier, and refuse to grant a Special Development Order (SDO) for the multi-million dollar south shore plan.

He said: "I believe this is merely a sham; it's a shameless sham. The end result is a foregone conclusion."

Sen. Richards said Ewart Brown had "put his personal prestige on the line with this one" meaning it was guaranteed that it would be approved.

"Unless she (Ms Butterfield) wants to give up the GP car, the Government credit cards and the Minister's salary, she is going to have to toe the line."

The United Bermuda Party politician was speaking during a brief 15-minute budget debate on the environment in the Upper House.

He criticised the use of SDOs by Government to fast track planning applications and likened development in Bermuda to a train "hurtling" out of control.

Sen. Richards said the Island was becoming overdeveloped and it was irresponsible of the Government to encourage hundreds of millions of dollars to be spent on more hotels.

"I think that Bermuda needs to change it's national bird from the cahow, which is rarely sighted, to the crane, which we see everywhere in Hamilton and in the country," he said.

"Bermuda is not Dubai. Dubai is a country which has no natural beauty except maybe the desert. They don't care if they are replacing sand with concrete.

"I think that Bermuda is one of God's most incredible, beautiful and unique creations. He put all of us on Earth to be stewards to look after his creation. The question is: how are we doing with that stewardship? The thing to answer is: not so good. What are we doing to control this unbridled development."

The Senate was adjourned until May 9.