A SUSTAINABLE Development Plan remains on the cards for Bermuda despite its omission from the recent Throne Speech, an advocate for the policy believes.

Environmentalist Stuart Hayward said Premier Ewart Brown was likely to take a different approach to the concept from his predecessor Alex Scott, but such was to be expected with a change of leadership.

Mr. Hayward , a member of the Government-appointed Sustainable Development Round Table, said he had no reason to expect a drastic change in priority.

"I have the sense that Dr. Brown's approach is not the same as Alex Scott's approach," he said. "However, the mechanism of how sustainable development concepts get imposed, policies and activities both in the public and private sector, is probably going to remain the same.

"The Sustainable Development Unit is not going to go anywhere. The role of the Round Table, I haven't heard it will change. I hope it will remain the same.

"But I do get the sense that the Sustainable Development Initiative doesn't hold the same place on Dr. Brown's radar screen. That's to be expected. However, I and many others will be disappointed if the Sustainable Development Initiative is allowed to lapse or didn't continue to have input at the Cabinet level."

Asked after the Throne Speech whether sustainable development ? a concept promoted by Mr. Scott ? was still a priority, Dr. Brown said: "Everything we are doing is designed within the concept of sustainable development."

Speaking to that comment yesterday, Mr. Hayward noted: "It doesn't look like there was extensive thought prior to the comment being made.

"Even if I wanted to look at ways of being critical, it would be unfair to expect in the brief time between Dr. Brown's rise as Premier and the delivery of the Throne Speech, he would have had time to have given ample attention to the Sustainable Development Initiative."

Asked whether he thought a general approach to sustainable development might be an easier means of encouraging the public to buy into the scheme than a set of structured policies, Mr. Hayward said no.

"The public does need to have a clear appreciation for what sustainable development means ? whether it's with tourism or transport or applied to anything else.

"A specific plan may be more detailed than can be put into effect right now, but it still should be put into play. It speaks to each aspect, so people have an appreciation for how concepts fit into each aspect of our community."

Advocates of the concept are now working to get such a plan in place, he added.

"The concept is brand-new for Government and the Sustainable Development team, for civil servants and the Round Table. We're trying to develop not only a concept and contents, but a process ? what we do and how we do it is all still fluid.

"The plan, as it's now being discussed and would be accepted, is just an attempt to get something on paper, to get something anchored. No matter how we proceed, that anchor will be useful."