Queen’s Wharf to partly open in August, two years behind schedule

Seven years after demolition teams moved in at the old Queensland government executive building, the Queen’s Wharf casino and entertainment complex is now two months away from partly opening – two years later than planned.

The Star Brisbane revealed on Sunday the first phase of bar and restaurant openings will begin on August 29, including the main casino floor on levels five and six.

The Star Brisbane chief executive Daniel FinchCredit: Nigel Hallett

The opening will mean the existing Treasury Casino, across George Street from the top of the Queen Street Mall, will close its doors before Queen’s Wharf’s August opening.

“The Treasury Brisbane will close at a time before The Star Brisbane opens, with that date yet to be announced,” a Star spokeswoman said.

The heritage-listed Treasury building remained for sale, the spokeswoman said, along with the nearby Treasury Hotel.

With 8½ weeks to go before the $3.6 billion Star Brisbane started opening its doors, chief executive Daniel Finch said there would be a “steady stream” of new restaurants, bars and public spaces opening through to the end of 2024.

“Public spaces will be among the first areas to be opened and that includes the viewing platform on Sky Deck, Miller Park, and of course the Neville Bonner Bridge linking Queen’s Wharf to South Bank,” he said.

Also opening on or shortly after August 29 will be the LiveWire bar – a version of which already exists at Star’s Treasury Casino – a 1440-seat event centre, the 340-room Star Grand Hotel and a range of other restaurants and bars.

“Like the rest of Brisbane, I am excited for this game-changing development to invigorate the CBD, including our nighttime economy and we will soon announce more exact dates for the diary,” Finch said.

Finch said the opening would be a phased roll-out over several weeks, and in several stages.

“We want to ensure our team members are prepared, our facilities have been tested, our processes are right and importantly our guests have an exceptional experience that they will talk about and come back to experience again,” he said.

“Not everything will open all at once on day one.”

Finch also addressed concerns about The Star’s fitness to hold a casino licence in Queensland, after this masthead’s revelations of money laundering and criminal activity at its casinos in Australia.

“We are subject to regulatory and government approvals and as such our remediation is crucial and will ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to our community, our guests and our team members to be better and provide the safest environment possible across the entire business.”

The Queen’s Wharf project is being delivered by the Destination Brisbane Consortium, a joint venture between The Star Entertainment Group and Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium.

CTFE took out an injunction in May restraining this masthead from publishing any part of a report from an independent inquiry into allegations that it was associated with junket operator and convicted organised crime figure Alvin Chau.