An environmental group has called into question the Environment Minister's appointment of his sister to a planning board.

The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) yesterday spoke out in criticism of Glenn Blakeney's choice of Beverley Samuels as a member of the Development Applications Board (DAB).

Ms Samuels is among the 11 new members, announced in the Official Gazette last month.

Their role is to decide which public and private planning applications should get the go-ahead, following consultation with various Government departments.

Already the Opposition have criticised the Minister's selection of his sister to the committee as "a conflict of interest".

And yesterday, BEST also questioned Mr. Blakeney's actions as "highly inappropriate".

"We have a concern about Minister Blakeney's appointment of a close relative to a board that is intimately linked to the Minister's portfolio," said Stuart Hayward, chairman of BEST.

"He can issue Special Development Orders (SDOs) that shortcut the Planning process; he can hear and grant approval on ministerial appeals; he can amend or overturn Section 34 (conservation) agreements; he can ignore or override the advice of technical advisors including those in the Department of Planning, expert Civil Service consultants, and independent inspectors; he can override public sentiment; and he can set aside decisions made by the Development Applications Board (DAB), a statutory board under the Development and Planning Act 1974."

He continued: "Acts such as a minister appointing a sibling to a board so closely related to his ministerial portfolio tend to chip away at the checks and balances of good governance.

"They can have the effect of undermining the integrity of the DAB, the Department of Planning and indeed of the Minister himself. Moreover, they can erode public confidence in the integrity of the process.

"As it is the system, with its established checks and balances, that the public as well as civic organisations like BEST depend upon as the bedrock of orderly and democratic society, we are disappointed in the Minister's action and look forward to his re-aligning his decision to fit a best-practice Code of Ethics."

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Blakeney told this newspaper: "It was solely my appointment and I certainly make no apologies for it."

The Minister said his sister had "expressed a sincere interest in making an invaluable civic contribution".

"Ms Samuels is a Bermudian with more than 20 years in the travel industry. She was appointed to the DAB as a lay person to represent the interests of the Bermuda community in making decisions on planning applications," he said.

Mr. Hayward said: "While it is not our role to advise the Minister, we would be remiss if we did not point out that Ms Samuels' willingness to exercise her civic duty by serving on a Government board should be applauded and not be overshadowed by the taint of a nepotistic appointment, especially as there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other boards or committees to which her appointment would not constitute a conflict of interest."