Shadow Tourism Minister Michael Dunkley claimed yesterday that Government's handling of the Southlands land swap deal was the "worst example of public planning".

He said the Opposition was pleased Southlands would be preserved as a national park but dismayed that the development of Morgan's Point wasn't put out to competitive tender.

On Monday, Government gave 80 acres of land at Morgan's Point, plus a lease on another 140 acres, to the owners of Southlands in exchange for their unspoilt estate in Warwick.

Southlands Ltd. plans to build a $2 billion tourism resort at Morgan's Point over the next 20 years while the 37-acre Southlands plot will become a public park. Senator Dunkley said: "We consider the Morgan's Point situation to be the worst example of public planning we can think of, if we can even use that word planning."

He said he cast no aspersions on Southlands Ltd. and looked forward to working with them on a project that could rejuvenate tourism and create local jobs.

But he claimed Government's handling of the situation — including the unpopular granting in 2007 of a special development order (SDO) for a luxury resort at Southlands — sold Bermuda short. "That go-ahead was stopped by public protests against the development of the property, the last large green space in Warwick," he said.

"To get itself off the hook, the Government shifted the developers' attention to Morgan's Point, promising to give them 80 acres there if they dropped their rights to develop Southlands — a swap that in effect gave the developers control over Morgan's Point's 250 acres.

"In doing so, the Government potentially compromised the best possible development of the site by depriving Bermuda of a competitive tendering process that could have brought forward other visions and plans for the property."

The UBP politician said it was clear the Island needed a new hotel development to boost its reputation as a first-class destination.

"Morgan's Point has the potential to be that catalyst but do not be led astray by the Premier's announcement on Monday. He was full of spin, creating the impression that a Morgan's Point development was just around the corner. The reality is that the land swap does nothing more than formally commit the developers to the Morgan's Point property. Bermuda is many steps and most likely years away from resort development actually breaking ground."

Dueane Dill, Bermuda Democratic Alliance's spokesman on Works and Engineering, said the land swap deal had the potential to be a win-win situation for all but more details should be made public. "The Alliance, as well as most Bermudians, are very interested in seeing salient points of the details, in particular how Southlands is being rezoned."

He said confirmation was needed that the deal signed on Monday included a stipulation that Southlands be rezoned as a national park.

"This way we can be sure there will be no threat of development at a later point," he said.