Almost 34 acres of public land officially became parkland yesterday in the House of Assembly.

An amendment to the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986 made four parcels of land in Sandys, Southampton and Hamilton Parish part of the Bermuda National Park system.

The land in Sandys, between Heydon Gardens and Heydon Lane, measures 3.01 hectares and is known as Virginia Park. It was donated to Government in March, 1998, by a non-Bermudian landowner.

In Southampton, 1.74 hectares between Middle and South Roads near Barnes Corner was named Barnes Corner Park. Government paid $700,000 for the land, which had limited development potential. Gibbs Hill Park was also expanded with 3.9 acres of land between Lighthouse Road and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. Government bought the land in 1997 for $750,000.

The largest pieces of land, which together measure 18.2 acres, are in Hamilton Parish. The land cost Government $1.6 million when it bought it in 1998 and the parcels will be known as Abbot's Cliff Park.

Although the land has been public since the previous Government, it could not be converted to parkland before people had a chance to object.

Next week, the Railway Trail will be added to the list of National Parks, bringing the total parkland acreage to 960.