Aug 20, 2019 Every gamers' worst headache, yet in real reality it need james packer new casino sydney not be terrifying in all. Online - Your source for entertainment news. Taking back the crown? Billionaire James Packer is seen in Australia for the first time in a year after a tumultuous time overseas.
Updated June 28, 2016 21:04:09
James Packer's Crown casino and hotel is to be built at Barangaroo in Sydney after the project was approved by the New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission.
Key points:
- Planning commission approves Barangaroo development, allowing Government to green light construction
- Casino will be set back 30m from harbour for more public space
- Plans have changed multiple times to suit Government requests
The NSW Government can now give it the green light for construction.
It will be built with some modifications to the original plan, which will give more public space at the southern end of Barangaroo.
The developmentwill also be set back 30 metres from the harbour giving extra space for people to walk along the promenade at the western foreshore at the edge of the casino.
The commission said those changes meant 'the public good has been given a more equal status with the private good'.
In giving final approval, a statement from the commission said it had: 'concluded that with the design changes made ... the proposed scale and form of Crown Sydney will be a sculptural and elegant signature building on the foreshore'.
The luxury 'six-star' hotel will comprise more than 300 rooms and suites, apartments, restaurants, bars, shops, conference facilities and VIP gaming rooms.
The State Government has been negotiating with Mr Packer over the proposal for several years.
It won Government support in 2013, with then-premier Barry O'Farrell declaring it would be restricted to high-rollers and 'not be a full-blown casino' with poker machines.
The development plans have been changed a number of times to suit the Government's requests.
Initially, the development was proposed to be built on the water but that was revised so it would only be built on land.
'Hickson Park has been reconfigured and enlarged to improve sunlight and connectivity to the foreshore,' Planning Minister Rob Stokes said.
'The foreshore boundary between Barangaroo and Sydney Harbour has also been widened to provide a 30-metre promenade in addition to licensed areas.'
In a statement, Crown Resorts said the approval came with 'substantial modifications and conditions'.
'While it has been a long and detailed process, we are pleased with the overall outcome,' Crown Resorts' chairman Robert Rankin said.
'We're deeply committed to building a six-star hotel resort that Sydneysiders and all Australians can be proud of.
'We will now move quickly with excavation work.'
The Barangaroo development has been a controversial topic for Sydneysiders, with many people voicing concerns about a second casino in the city.
Protesters against local lockout laws have been vocal in their criticism of the Barangaroo development and the Star casino in Darling Harbour, which is excluded from the CBD-wide lockout zones.
University of Sydney problem gambling counsellor Dr Christopher Hunt has misgivings about the casino's impact of problem gamblers.
'The second casino is something that has been marketed as something that's going to be for high rollers, for people who spend ... large amounts of money on gaming tables,' he said.
'We're seeing many more patients who are attracted to this style of gambling, to games like baccarat, roulette, blackjack, and we're increasingly seeing people losing large amounts of money.'
The approval follows Crown Resorts' decision to separate its 'high-performing' Australian assets from its international business, namely underperforming casinos in Macau, which have dragged on domestic interests.
Crown Sydney is expected to be open by 2021.
Topics:urban-development-and-planning, community-and-society, sydney-2000
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First posted June 28, 2016 10:47:35