The owners of Southlands warned yesterday they would have "no alternative" but to reconsider developing the estate if Government reneges on a promised land swap deal.

Brian Duperreault, Nelson Hunt and Craig Christensen fired the latest salvo in an ongoing row over the stalled agreement just days before they are due to present a plan to Cabinet for a luxury hotel at Morgan's Point.

A spokeswoman for Southlands Ltd. told The Royal Gazette: "Unless the Morgan's Point land swap happens, there is no park at Southlands. The Southlands team will have no alternative but to reconsider developing Southlands.

"Support for any developer other than the Southlands team could result in development at both places — a lose/lose situation. A vote against the Morgan's Point development is a vote against turning Southlands into a park."

A war of words broke out between Southlands Ltd. and Government last month when global insurance chief Mr. Duperreault claimed Premier Ewart Brown had "no desire" to swap 80 acres of public brownfield land at Morgan's Point for the pristine 37-acre Southlands estate.

An agreement for the swap was signed almost two years ago after plans to build a tourist resort at Southlands prompted a public outcry.

The exchange would see Southlands preserved as a national park but Government has said the swap won't happen until a suitable proposal for Morgan's Point is presented and a five-star hotel chain gets on board.

Environmental groups spoke out in favour of the exchange last night, with one organisation claiming Government would be guilty of "deadly deceit" if it pulled out of the deal.

Stuart Hayward, chairman of Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce, said it would be "incomprehensible" for Government to refuse to complete the land swap after telling the public it would do so.

"It's trickery; deceit, deadly deceit," he said. "You can't go around duping like that and that's what it is. You can't go around saying things like this and two years later say: 'We didn't mean what we said.'"

Bermuda National Trust president Bill Holmes said: "The day the land swap was announced was a rare win for Bermuda's environment and also a win for Bermuda's tourism product and the people of Bermuda as a whole.

"On that day we hoped to realise a new vibrant tourism offering on a brownfield site at the same time as a 37-acre public park, comprising of some of the most enchanting flora, fauna and topography for all of Bermuda to enjoy."

He added: "The Bermuda National Trust believes that the land swap was a sound idea and that it is very important for Bermuda that it should happen."

Greenrock likened the "public mess that this 'swap deal' has become" to Government's thwarted plans in 2006 to build a new hospital in the Botanical Gardens.

The charity said in a statement that Government threw out the hospital plan after massive community opposition.

It said a similar "awakening" was needed over Southlands "where the interest of the public good, both in the short and long-term, is taken into consideration".

Dr. Brown has called on the Island's green lobby to speak out on the proposals for Morgan's Point, which he views as having "too much concrete".

Mr. Holmes said: "Until the final plans for both sites are decided upon and made public we are not able to comment on them specifically."

The Southlands spokeswoman said: "He [the Premier] has jumped the gun. Development at Morgan's Point is a moot point unless there is a land swap."

She said Southlands Ltd. would soon invite environmental groups to view the plans. "In the interim, we encourage all persons who supported the original land swap to rally in support of the finalising of the swap to ensure that Southlands is turned into a national park."

A Government spokesman said: "We are awaiting Southlands' presentation to the full Cabinet on Tuesday and no useful purpose is served by engaging in discussions that do not advance matters related to that."