Last night one of the owners of the controversial Southlands estate told concerned citizens at a meeting, "If you're not in the government or planning then you are not part of the process."

Nelson Hunt was responding to questions raised by a woman in the meeting how Bermudians will have a say in what happens at Southlands if the Special Development Order (SDO) wipes it out.

SDOs would speed up the development process and prevent the public input during the construction phases, however, law permits the Environment Minister to grant SDOs if the project is of national importance.

The Southlands estate, which Craig Christensen and Brian Duperreault also own, formed a partnership with Jumeirah and applied for an SDO to bring a resort hotel and fractional ownership vacation units to the sprawling Southlands estate in Warwick.

The meeting, which drew close to 60 concerned citizens, was held at the Warwick Workman's Club to address questions raised, according to MP Alex Scott, when he was polling his constituents.

A large portion of the meeting was spent debating the rights of those at the meeting to raise their concerns and their access to the plans for the project, and brought on Mr. Hunt's statement.

However, Mr. Hunt added: "We have done impact studies and surveys and you're lucky we are Bermudian because any other property would go in there and tear this place up.

"We want to enhance the property and we will plant trees and restore all of the quarry gardens."

The actual property is zoned into different lots, some for arable land and a zone for a hotel, which is where Mr. Hunt said the company plans to develop the hotel and they will not touch the undeveloped areas.

Other concerns raised in the meeting were plans for the waste water, the number of staff needed for the proposed amount of guests and the access for Bermudians to the beaches on the lot of land.

In a statement issued by Shadow Environment Minister, Cole Simmons, yesterday titled: 'Let's save Southlands' he said: "While the United Bermuda Party supports new hotel development, it needs to be directed to other number of sites that are easier to develop such as Morgan's Point and the old Club Med property in St. George's.

"The government should purchase the 37-acre Southlands property for conversion to a national park to benefit Bermudians.

"If Southlands development goes ahead, along with Atlantic Development's plans for the nearby former Golden Hind property, large woodland spaces in Warwick Parish will become a thing of the past."