Former Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson has been appointed as chairman of the Sustainable Development Roundtable.

But Mr. Hodgson would not be drawn on the Southlands controversy which has seen protestors object to plans for two special development orders (SDO) to speed-up building of a large hotel development on protected space in Warwick.

Making the announcement at a Cabinet Office press conference yesterday Premier Ewart Brown said as Environment Minister Mr. Hodgson had introduced Bermuda to the concept of sustainable development as a component of central policy government.

Dr. Brown added that Mr. Hodgson agreed with him that: ?Sustainable development includes, definitely, the environment, but it is much more than environment which makes the term so weighty.?

And the Premier said Mr. Hodgson understood the whole picture having been a developer as well as Environment Minister.

Mr. Hodgson, who publicly supported Dr. Brown?s leadership bid to oust Alex Scott, attracted some controversy during his stint in Environment from 1998 to 2000 (see separate panel) before being forced to resign after losing his own leadership battle with Premier Jennifer Smith.

Environmentalist Stuart Hayward, who was axed from the Sustainable Development Roundtable, which he blames on his ?vigorous high profile defence of the principles of sustainable development? said Mr. Hodgson had been a very articulate spokesman for the sustainable development concept during his time as Environment Minister.

But he added: ?Given Mr. Hodgson?s record of admittedly signing SDO?s he didn?t agree with in principle such as the Berkeley Institute, one has to think warily of this appointment.

?When one considers that Dr. Brown declared in effect that he would only be appointing to the Roundtable those who understood ?the agenda?, one must ask what exactly is ?the agenda? and what role in ?the agenda? the new chair is expected to play.

Mr. Hayward added: ?Let me make it clear that virtually all those I served with on the Roundtable were committed to the principles of sustainability and those who remain will no doubt push to be the watchdogs they were asked to be when appointed.?

Opposition Environment Spokesman Cole Simons said he supported the appointment of Mr. Hodgson as roundtable chairman and the appointment of David Chapman as deputy chairman. Mr. Simons said: ?I support Mr. Hodgson because he will not just rubberstamp sustainable development issues for political expediency. He will do what?s best for the country.?

But Mr. Simons wondered what had become of the rest of the committee which he said had not met since late last year when Dr. Brown became Premier.

Mr. Simons, who was dumped from the committee, said he had been asking for a new list of members but had yet to see one.

At yesterday?s press conference Dr. Brown said Mr. Hodgson, who replaced Malcolm Butterfield as chairman, had defined sustainable development as process of ensuring the youth inherit an island as nice as the one he inherited.

He said Mr. Hodgson had demonstrated his belief in public consultation during his time on the roundtable and the Premier encouraged Mr. Hodgson and the committee to plug the sustainable development plan and get public feedback.

Quoting Mr. Hodgson, Dr. Brown said sustainable development was ?a long term process which requires us to change the way we think and plan ? to change our culture.?

Mr. Hodgson said he had yet to have extensive talks with the Premier but he added that although Bermuda was a very prosperous country, Bermudians didn?t always enjoy a high quality of life. ?It is the business of injecting quality into the quantity,? he added.

But he would not comment on the Southlands project other than admitting it was a hot topic.