being given yesterday to Government's purchase of 11.5 acres of land in Hamilton Parish and plans to turn the south side of Great Bay, St. David's, into the 60th national park.

Sen. Maxwell Burgess (UBP) noted fellow Sen. Wendell Hollis' part in the acquisition of the T.H.H. Outerbridge Trust adjacent to the historic Walsingham and Wilkinson Trusts in Bailey's Bay.

He said before Sen. Hollis was appointed a senator, and while he headed the National Trust's environmental committee, he wrote a letter to Government suggesting it may want to acquire the park land before plans to residentially develop were allowed to go ahead.

Said Sen. Burgess: "I don't think any senator will deny this is a useful piece of property and the people of Bermuda will be served well by its acquisition.'' Sen. Ira Philip (PLP) said the $2.8 million purchase had the Opposition's "whole-hearted support''.

Recalling his letter urging Government not to lose the chance to buy "a key entrance to Bermuda'', Sen. Hollis, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, said the purchase gave him "great personal pleasure''. The land is to the left as you come off the Causeway from St. George's, or the airport.

He noted the Bermuda 2000 Report stated Hamilton Parish had the least amount of park land than any parish. Hamilton Parish residents "desperately need'' a park, he said. "The purchase of the land will now see that imbalance corrected.'' He assured the public plans were underway to turn the land into a park. He added the land plus the Walsingham and Wilkinson Trusts and Government's other recent purchase of the Dismont property adjacent were "as close as we can possibly get of what Bermuda used to look like before man came on the scene''.

There were no objections after senators' consideration of the proposal, nor were there after consideration of a draft notice entitled The National Parks Protected Areas Amendment Notice 1992.

Sen. Hollis said the land, near the St. David's Cricket Club, amounted to a third of an acre.

He said it would become the 60th park in Government's national parks scheme.

Sen. Hollis commended recent work on improving the Island's parks and suggested Fort Scaur, John Smith's and Church Bay parks were worth a visit.

He said the parks were a reflection of Bermuda and an important part of showing off the Island to tourists.

Sen. Philip commended Government's undertaking to "beautify'' the land off Great Bay Road saying it has been an "eyesore'' for a long time.

And Senate President the Hon. Albert Jackson said Government was to be applauded for "identifying in our very limited acreage, areas to be brought into the national parks scheme''.

He added a "very close eye'' should be kept on the increasing development of arable land. He warned there is a need to preserve such land for growing fruit and vegetables in case there comes a time when importation of food from overseas is "interrupted''. He said such land should be saved as "insurance''.

SHADED AREAS show the new Hamilton Parish park areas, although the Wilkinson Trust property is private and is closed to the public.