redevelop the Base lands was axed yesterday afternoon in the Senate.

Opposition Sen. Terry Lister's amendment to withdraw the former Canadian base from the lands to be leased to the planned Base Lands Development Company was defeated by a seven to four vote in the upper house.

The Base Lands Development Act, which Government Senate Leader Lynda Milligan-Whyte said would produce new jobs, business opportunities and industry for Bermuda, was then approved by the Senate after more than six hours of debate.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte opened the debate by saying the Base Lands Development Company created by the bill was the best vehicle for managing the opportunities presented by the 1,300 acres being returned to Bermuda.

The company will be leased the land -- which makes up ten percent of Bermuda's land mass -- for 131 years.

She added that the company is a more permanent replacement for the Land Development Transition Office, which managed the takeover of the land from the US and Canadian navies.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte said the BLDC will be wholly owned by Government and will be regulated under the Companies Act.

Government will provide the broad policy direction but will not be involved in the day to day management of the company.

The company, she said, will be subject to public scrutiny and annual reports and audited statements will be prepared.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said the Opposition wanted to make sure the Base lands were available to all people, not just members of the business class.

He said a "mixed use'' policy for the land was acceptable because it would incorporate social, commercial and recreational uses.

Sen. Lister said housing and the physical needs of Bermudians must be given ample consideration in order to restore the confidence of the people in the new corporation and Government.

He said the makeup of the board of directors of the new company must reflect the community and not just a particular group.

Moreover, he said, it should be staffed as far as possible with Bermudians.

Sen. Lister said he was confused as to why the BLDC needed a 131-year lease and he queried how long it would take before the operation was profitable.

He also wanted to know who -- given that the BLDC will be outside of Government regarding its ability to borrow money -- will assist the corporation if it ran into difficulties as a result of a loan.

Sen. Norma Astwood (Ind) said she was worried that St. George's may follow the experience of Somerset Village, which endured some suffering after the West End Development Corporation took over Dockyard.

She said she did not want to see the demise of another small village.

Sen. Gary Pitman (UBP) said the 131-year lease was not an arbitrary number but was instead consistent with a time period that will allow the company enough time to manage the developments on the former Base lands.

Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) said he supported the new corporation but he said the entire subject of the bases could use the services of effective public relations.

He said the public needed to be kept up-to-date with the projects and progress going on with these lands.

Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP) said she would not like to see another cottage colony go up on the Daniel's Head site because there was agricultural land there.

She said open space is important so that families can hold picnics, go swimming and attend cultural events.

Sen. Larry Scott (UBP) said the bill contrasted the different approaches of the PLP and the ruling UBP in looking after the interests of the public.

He added Sen. Lister had described the new company as the United Business Park -- the same initials as the UBP -- and of caring more about business than Bermudians.

But Sen. Scott said: "I make no apology for the UBP -- we have sound policies and that's what this is all about.'' And he claimed the PLP had been trying to "throw off the shackles of its socialist past''.

Sen. Scott said: "They are holding themselves up to be a business party -- the bill throws into sharp contrast a difference of approach.'' He added the West End Development Corporation had been in existence for some time and had shown some faults.

But experience was a good teacher and the lessons learned from Wedco would allow the new Base lands company to get off to a flying start.

Developments like London's Docklands and the Baltimore renewal project had been examined and ran on similar lines to Government's plans for the Base lands.

Sen. Scott said: "There is nothing new here -- we are using business practices which have been accepted internationally.'' And he pledged: "The land bank will be in the hands of Government -- the people of Bermuda -- and it won't be given away.'' Community Affairs Minister Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) said some points brought up in the debate needed emphasis.

She said: "I cannot emphasise enough the fact that the land is the property of the Bermuda Government. The development company will be 100 percent owned by Government.'' She added the new company would be running six times the land Wedco took over.

"It only made good sense the Bermuda Government decided to form a company which will oversee the development of these lands. It just makes good business sense.'' Sen. Milton Scott (PLP) said the PLP had concerns about the land being transferred into the hands of a quango.

He said: "We have a civil service which works very well and we have made significant steps towards Bermudianisation of the civil service.'' And he questioned the make-up of the quango and if it would reflect the diversity found in Bermuda.

Senate President Albert Jackson said Bermuda had been served very well this century by quango-style bodies, from Wedco to the Crown Lands Corporation set up when most UK forces were pulled out of Bermuda in the 1950s.

But he added: "Any development of this magnitude is worthy of close scrutiny as it proceeds.'' Summing up for Government, Sen. Lynda Milligan-Whyte said the fiscal budget of the new company would be in excess of $6 million while it would have capital of $2 million.

But she said the needs of Bermudians would not be neglected by Government.

The UBP was pro-business -- but only to the extent where it was good for Bermudians.

She added that the future of Daniel's Head -- the former Canadian base -- was not "set in stone''.

And she stressed just another cottage colony was not an option, as had been stated. She added a spa-type development to complement existing resorts was most likely.

But she did not rule out the Daniel's Head area being put into the land bank for future development and turned over to the public at some point in the future.

When the Senate went into committee debate on specific sections of the bill, Sen. Lister moved to have Daniel's Head removed from the schedule of properties affected by the Act.

But Sen. Milligan-Whyte opposed the amendment and said it would not be in the best interests of the Bermudian people to pass it.

She said any development at Daniel's Head should be done in conjunction with the development of the other Base lands.

Sen. Swan agreed and said she was at "a loss as to what Sen. Lister feels he can achieve by asking today for Daniel's Head to be omitted from the schedule''.

Sen. Lawrence Scott said he was "appalled'' at Sen. Lister's attempt to remove a great benefit to the western parishes by trying to prevent Daniel's Head from being developed.

This development provided an opportunity to let the parish move forward, he added.

Sen. Lister's wish "to stop the clock'' for recreational reasons only, continued Sen. Scott, "concerned'' and "disturbed'' him.

Development of the area provided an opportunity to bring "active bodies'' to the west end so the business community there could have the chance to flourish, he added.

The amendment would only "turn back the clock'' for Somerset and for a Somerset resident to be concerned with it was shameful, said Sen. Scott.

Senate President Albert Jackson wondered if there could be a compromise between the two sides of opinion.

He asked if there was any possibility of having the area remain in the Act and be earmarked for development in keeping with the wishes of the people in Sandys Parish.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte said it would be up to the discretion of the Works and Engineering Minister to listen to representatives from the Somerset area who could voice parishioners' concerns.

Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) said the people of Sandys should be encouraged to make strong suggestions on how the property should be utilised.

He said he was sure there were a lot of people who did not want to see "bricks and mortar'' everywhere when the time came for development.

Sen. Terry Lister Sen. Lynda Milligaan-Whyte