A blueprint for sustainable development in Bermuda will be ready for implementation in about six months, according to Premier Alex Scott.

At a Press conference yesterday, Premier Scott unveiled a new project team which began work on the Central Policy Unit on March 1.

The team is headed by Ross Andrews and includes Erica Smith from the Ministry of the Environment, Melinda Williams from the Department of Statistics, Charles Clarke from the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, and junior policy analyst Leila Wadson.

In addition to the project team, Mr. Scott said there would be an independent advisory board, formed from a cross-section of the community, established to guide the team. He added that he would announce the names of those members in the coming weeks.

Although sustainable development is often interpreted as an exclusively environmental concern, the Premier explained that the scope is more comprehensive than how it is often interpreted.

He quoted experts in the field who have defined sustainable development as a way of balancing environmental concerns, the concerns of both current and future generations, an equitable social order, and the efficient use of resources.

However, Mr. Scott stressed that the most important definition for Bermuda would be one developed internally by the community itself.

The initiative to create a sustainable development plan for Bermuda was first announced in December, during which time a consultant advised Government on the scope of the project. Subsequently, the proposal for project scale were approved by Cabinet.

Mr. Scott said one of the first steps in the project, entitled "A Partnership for a Sustainable Bermuda", will be to publish a document identifying the greatest challenges to Bermuda's sustainability.

These challenges are expected to be identified as the result of a national debate scheduled to begin in April.

Thus far, Mr. Scott said the Central Policy Unit has already consulted with a number of local organisations including the Bermuda International Business Association, Chamber of Commerce, Bermuda Industrial Union and the National Trust.

And he mentioned that the Association of Bermuda International Companies has agreed to donate 230 hours of human resources to the project.

A consultant is later expected to help the project team develop recommendations for a proposed course of action.

The Premier said that although Bermuda's thriving economy is often cited as a sign of success, the project would also seek to identify other markers or indicators of sustainable development since "economic wealth does not necessarily measure the quality of life in our country."