Planning Department approved Barangaroo casino but said no to Ritz-Carlton
Planning Minister Rob Stokes was the minister in charge of the NSW Department of Planning when Crown’s Barangaroo casino was approved but declined to approve The Star’s Ritz-Carlton hotel during his second spell in the job.
Planning Minister Rob Stokes was the minister in charge of the NSW Department of Planning when Crown’s Barangaroo casino was approved and when the department issued The Star with environmental guidelines for its proposed Ritz-Carlton.
It comes after Deputy Premier John Barilaro took aim at the Independent Planning Commission over its move to consider restricting where a Hunter coal mine can sell its coal.
Due to “scope-three emissions”, there is a possibility the Wambo coal mine may soon not be able to sell coal to countries which have not signed the Paris Agreement.
“I have real concerns about an unelected, so-called ‘independent body’, purporting to write government policy on the run, in relation to scope-three emissions,” Mr Barilaro told The Daily Telegraph.
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“The Independent Planning Commission’s decision to seek comment on potential consent conditions around these emissions has ramifications beyond the United Wambo project — this could have impacts on a range of export industries, including agriculture.”
The Independent Planning Commission has the final say on whether the $500 million Ritz-Carlton proposal at Pyrmont gets the green light.
Mr Stokes is currently in his second stint as planning minister, with his first term stretching from April 2015 to January 2017. During this tenure in June 2016 the Department of Planning approved Crown’s casino development at Barangaroo — a James Packer-backed site which is expected to open in 2021.
The Department also issued the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements to The Star in May 2016. Mr Stokes was also the minister in charge of the department when The Star hosted its design competition for the 61 story tower, which was won by architects FJMT.
The winning design was announced in December 2016 after being selected by a design panel which included NSW government architect Peter Poulet.
In his second stint as planning minister, which began in April this year, the Department of Planning has declined to approve Ritz-Carlton despite the tourism and accommodation industry saying Sydney needs more hotels.
A spokeswoman for Mr Stokes said: “Both applications were assessed by the Department of Planning and referred to an independent body for determination. The Minister played no role in these processes,” she said.
On Tuesday broadcaster Alan Jones attacked Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Mr Stokes over their failure to approve the $500 million Ritz-Carlton.
The popular radio host said the perplexing decision has made Sydney “a laughing stock” and resulted in Brisbane “running rings around us”.
“We’re an embarrassment Gladys make a decision, take a stand give the thing a go ahead and get on with it,” he said on 2GB.
“The planning minister Rob Stokes, now listen come on you’ve got a million degrees … Stop getting on the backward thinking bandwagon … Are we a global city or not?”
The 61-storey luxury hotel and apartment proposal by The Star Casino was rejected by the government last month, with the department taking issue with the 237m height of the building, which it said would be out of character for Pyrmont.
Jones said while the local community should be respected, change is inevitable to Sydney, which he said would increase in population from about five million today to eight million in 40 years.
“So what do we do? Dedicate Pyrmont to two-storey detached houses … of course local community should be respected, but change is inevitable. Advocacy for the future is essential Gladys,” he said.
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