Government is bringing in consultants to advise on sustainable development, Premier Alex Scott said yesterday.

Mr. Scott warned in his speech to Progressive Labour Party delegates on Monday that Bermuda was nearing saturation point and that sustainable development had to be a guiding policy from now on.

Yesterday the Premier said sustainable development did not necessarily mean stopping economic growth.

"You can do both if you address the principles of sustainable development in an intelligent way," he said, after being asked about recent speeches which seemed to be contradictory.

In his speech to the Progressive Labour Party conference this week, he said Bermuda was reaching "saturation point" due to economic growth, especially from international business. But in a speech to a health insurance conference in Florida last week, he encouraged participants to form new businesses in Bermuda.

"We're not talking about a cessation of growth but we are talking about monitoring growth ? you can have another company come in but it does not mean an extra car on the road ? or you could take two cars off the road. To that end we have done some due diligence we are having experts come in."

He said two consultants had already been engaged and one of them may already be on the Island.

"We're not letting grass grow under our feet. We will be speaking more definitely on what we are doing on sustainable development."

The Premier has said he is concerned that social and environmental costs may have already begun to outweigh the benefits of prosperity.