The Ministry of Environment is looking to the future, Minister Dennis Lister told Parliament on Wednesday.

The Ministry had to work within budgetary constraints this year but current departmental restructuring is intended to leave the Ministry in good stead to expand programmes of environmental protection in the future, he said.

More money will be needed, however, if the Ministry is to put in stricter environmental protection laws and carry out proactive inspections and enforcement actions. At the moment, Mr. Lister said there were no resources available for these areas.

From next month the Ministry will be composed of five departments, with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries disbanded and new departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation Services created.

As the Ministry was given only one hour for budget debate on Wednesday, Mr. Lister said he chose to focus solely on the two new departments and Ministry Headquarters in his brief to the House.

The time constraint meant a rushed delivery of the Ministry's plans for the year in Parliament, with UBP Shadow Minister Kim Young having just two minutes at the end of the 60 to comment.

"New money has been allocated to just two programmes," Mr. Lister said.

"For the Department of Parks, an increase of $129,000 will provide much needed funding for the maintenance of school grounds, playground equipment and the Railway Trail.

"The estimates for the Land Valuation Office include an additional $297,000 for the establishment of the Land Title Registration programme. This accounts for 43 percent of the increase in the Ministry's total current account expenditure."

Under the operations of the headquarters, Mr. Lister said the Ministry would be hosting a major environmental conference next month in association with the Bermuda National Trust and the Audubon Society.

$1.8 million of the Capital Development budget has been allotted for the purchase of open space and for implementing environmental improvements at the Botanical Gardens and along the Railway Trail, he said.

The new Department of Conservation Services will be charged with educating the community about environmental issues, conserving the Island's natural resources and promoting green initiatives, conducting relevant research and strengthening relationships with environmental non governmental organisations, Mr. Lister said.

Within Conservation Services, the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) and its programmes form the essential core.

However, the Minister added this department will also assume responsibility for the Marketing Centre and Agriculture Officers, Fisheries Officers and the annual Ag Show from the defunct Ag and Fish department.

Conservation Services will also assume responsibility for "preservation and conservation of nature reserves, wildlife and native flora and fauna from the Department of Parks, he said.

This department will also contribute to the Bermuda Biodiversity Project being undertaken by BAMZ and Bermuda Zoological Society, he said, and work towards the ratification of the United Nations International Convention on Biological Diversity. Bermuda signed the UN convention last year.

Mr. Lister said the Biological Conservation Division within this department is intended to work on broader conservation goals and projects for the Island divided into three categories.

Terrestrial Conservation will look at Bermuda's terrestrial special habitat with a special focus on endemic species," Mr. Lister said.

Botanical and Horticultural Services will operate the marketing centre, issue embargoes and monitor local produce.

And Marine Conservation Services will promote conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.

Mr. Lister said the model for this division was based on successful models used in many jurisdictions.

The new Department of Environmental Protection (EP) will assume all responsibility for issuing licences, plant protection, animal husbandry, animal control and fisheries wardens.

It will also take over monitoring of hydrogeology, air quality and environmental chemistry from ministry headquarters.

Mr. Lister said that $140,000 within EP's budget for the year had been put aside for environmental monitoring of:

- ash blocks in inshore waters ($50,000);

- a chemical analysis of fresh water lenses to monitor groundwater quality ($30,000); and

- environmental compliance monitoring including the chemical analysis of suspect sites, verification of the clean-up of contaminated sites, the analysis of stack emissions and air dispersion modelling ($60,000).

EP will also be responsible for producing environmental protection laws, Mr. Lister said.

"But to date, legislation has been hampered by a shortage of resources," he said.

The lack of resources has hit the Ministry and, in the past, only three persons in headquarters were responsible for a wide range on environmental monitoring including wells and air quality.

"There are no resources for proactive inspections or enforcement," Mr. Lister warned. And no resources to prepare stricter, protective legislation.

Nevertheless, the public regularly turns to the Ministry for help, he said.

In 2002/03, however, the public can expect to see a few important initiatives from the Ministry including the presentation of a White Paper on Marine Resources and the Fisheries Industry and the monitored cleaning of three sites where groundwater has been contaminated by hydrocarbons.

While Ms Young was given very little time to reply to Mr. Lister's brief, she did question where the new initiatives for the Ministry were.

She explained that the Opposition had allocated only one hour for debate on environment as the UBP felt tourism needed more time as it is of such national importance at this time.

"I don't see too many new environmental initiatives, I am surprised the PLP has green as its colour," she said. "Not too many greenies would consider the PLP a green Government."

Ms Young said Government Ministers should consider showing environmental leadership firsthand by driving electric cars and demonstrate a commitment to the environment by taking money away from tourism so the Ministry's funding would be "realistic".

Ms Young also questioned what had happened to a number of reports falling under environment which have yet to be made public.