Government and Premier Ewart Brown are refusing to say what's changed since they spoke out against an influx of work permits needed for Southlands Ltd.'s $2 billion dollar Morgan's Point resort.

At the height of his public row with Southlands in February, Dr. Brown wrote on his Facebook page that the developers wanted a 1,300-plus room resort and 2,000 work permits which was "not acceptable".

A Government spokesman backed that up saying the plan would require at least 1,000 work permits for construction and hotel staff which "could create a problem" with housing and the strain on the infrastructure.

Now the two sides have signed a deal anyway — with the Premier championing it at a press conference on Monday — creating 2,000 jobs in hospitality and construction industries early on, with more as the project continues over the next 20 years.

Developers yesterday confirmed non-Bermudians would be needed to help fill the posts, but said it was impossible to say how many.

Dr. Brown, through his press secretary Jamahl Simmons, would not spell out why he now believes the deal is acceptable.

Neither the Premier nor Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque would comment when asked what has alleviated concerns over work permits since it was deemed unsuitable seven months ago. They would not say how many work permits Government now believes will be needed or whether the expected figure has dropped since the critical remarks in February.

Southlands director Nelson Hunt has previously talked about his policy of recruiting Bermudians for his construction company, and one industry insider said he was always planning to do that wherever possible for the Southlands project. Mr. Hunt could not be reached yesterday.

Responding to questions about jobs and work permits yesterday, Southlands CEO Craig Christensen said: "The project will be completed in a phased approach and the number of construction jobs created will rise and fall as the scope of work changes over the anticipated 20-year build out of the project.

"It is anticipated that at full capacity some 1,000 jobs could be created. A mixture of both local and overseas persons will likely fill these jobs.

"With the creation of the hospitality institute, Morgan's Point executives are expectant that by the time the facility is ready to accept its first guests the number of Bermudians in the industry will rise.

"We anticipate having the capacity to accommodate the influx of new Bermudians entering the industry. We also understand and acknowledge that there will likely be vacancies that will have to be filled by non-Bermudians.

"At this point it is impossible to say how many permits will be needed. We will be working closely with the Government to make sure Bermudians are employed first and in accordance with Bermudian immigration policies and procedures."

Mr. Simmons said: "The comments from Southlands accurately set out the position and there is nothing to usefully add to them."

In February, the developers complained the project had been hit by numerous delays because the Premier did not want the land swap to take place.

Dr. Brown wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, February 23: "I am not holding it up.. they are," before labelling the work permit requirements unacceptable.

Reflecting on that comment yesterday, Mr. Christensen said: "It would be fair to say that the previous comments were never directed at us and that the plans for Morgan's Point and Southlands have undergone many changes. Nevertheless, all parties have reached an agreement and the new plan is viewed as acceptable by both parties."

The development will include a 325-room main resort hotel, 80-room boutique hotel, condos, beach villas, golf course, boat club and retail plaza.

Shadow Tourism Minister Michael Dunkley yesterday echoed Government's concerns from seven months ago as he called for the plans to be made public. "It will be incumbent on Bermuda's elected officials to make sure Bermuda deploys its resources in a manner that over time maximises the benefits to working Bermudians and the industries that employ them," said Sen. Dunkley.

"The United Bermuda Party looks forward to helping best manage the impact of such a project on Island immigration, infrastructure, environment, housing and surrounding neighbourhoods. In that regard, we look forward to seeing the resort plans in detail."

Environmentalist Stuart Hayward also questioned where the labour would come from.

"It should not be a massive hotel development," said Mr. Hayward. "We are looking at four, five, six hotel developments on the horizon. From where is the labour going to come for construction? We can't fill existing hotel projects with local labour.

"Where is the labour going to come from for the operation of the facility itself? We can't fill current properties with local labour."