Gold Coasts second casino: At least 20 consortiums expected to bid with all registrations of interest carefully considered
The State Government is confident that up to 20 players could lodge registrations of interest in the Gold Coast’s second casino, with the advisory panel even open to entertainment giants like Disneyland.
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AS the Palaszczuk Government gambles on offering a second casino licence on the Gold Coast, it is confident of getting up to 20 players including several global entertainment consortiums.
More than a dozen global resort operators have flagged interest in investing in the city since 2013, when the Government first went to market for a new integrated resort on the Gold Coast.
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The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal that as the existing sole casino operator on the Gold Coast, The Star — if it chooses — earns the right to be an automatic starter for a global tourism hub.
The ASF group, the final proponent before Labor abandoned the Broadwater integrated resort development, is also allowed to bypass the register of interests process (ROI) and move to the more serious second stage of expressions of interest, if it chooses to join the latest casino race.
ASF did not return Bulletin calls yesterday
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Tourism Minister Kate Jones came to the Coast yesterday to announce a tight deadline, with bidders having until next month to be part of the ROI.
“My gut feeling in the ROI process, which is the really early stages, is that we will probably get between 10 and 20,” Ms Jones said.
“I think there’s some climatic issues that are happening globally which are making Australia a very attractive destination.
“Part of what keeps me up at night is if a major global player wants to come to Australia and inject thousands of jobs and billions of dollars into the local economy, why would I want that in NSW.”
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Leading Coast businessman Tony Cochrane, who will be part of a Gold Coast Tourism Advisory Panel, told Ms Jones the tender process could lead to an entertainment giant like Disneyland pitching a project without a casino component.
“I think our view will be let’s bring everything forward. Let’s look at everything. We shouldn’t rule anything out or anything in at this early stage,’’ Mr Cochrane said.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the Coast. Let’s see what they’re going to propose and where.”
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LNP deputy leader Tim Mander, who joined fellow Opposition MPs on the Coast yesterday to discuss the global tourism hub, called on the Government to stop being secretive about 11 potential sites.
“This is supposed to be a great announcement for the Gold Coast but not good enough for the Premier to come and make the announcement,” he said.
“Which makes me wonder if it is fair dinkum or not. Is this just another shiny bauble to take Gold Coast residents’ attention from some other issues on the Coast or is it fair dinkum?’’
Ms Jones admitted the Government had considered the issue of releasing information about the sites.
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“The Government has made a decision today that we’re not ruling anything in or ruling anything out,” she said.
“We have learnt from the ASF stuff-up on the Spit. We thought about it long and hard. Today we are announcing very clearly that we are not going (to make announcements about sites).’’
She said with fewer constraints, there was “more opportunity for the market to come up with good ideas”.
Ms Jones said that after consulting with bureaucrats, the Government expected to go to expressions of interest in May, with those bids viewed during June and July.
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“By October, we would have gone through all the expressions of interest and we will either be making a decision that it isn’t a goer or going forward with a short list. Public consultation will be fed into it,” she said.
“Come forward, tell us who you are what you are. Then we can rule out if you are not suitable.”
Former councillor and Southport resident Eddy Sarroff yesterday vowed residents would “step up their campaign of protecting the much loved and heritage-listed parkland at Carey Park” from being one of the sites.
Clubs Queensland spokeswoman Laura Bos said the Government’s decision placed the future of 330 clubs in southeast Queensland in doubt.
“It feels like a stake was driven into the heart of the Gold Coast today,” she said.
Destination Gold Coast chief executive Annaliese Battista said the minister was commended for “bringing an end to what has been a divisive conversation for the commercial tourism sector and the community”.
“This process will be transparent and bring to the table world-class proponents for a world-class facility which the Gold Coast deserves.”
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