Secret casino list should be made public as government pressured to release 11 sites

The State Government is under pressure to make public a secret list of 11 potential sites for a proposed second casino-resort on the Gold Coast.

THE State Government is under pressure to make public a secret list of 11 potential sites for a proposed second casino-resort on the Gold Coast.

Eleven sites are “in play” for a planned global tourism hub, with Carey Park at Southport said to be among the top three preferred locations.

City councillors have been briefed on a confidential draft report on the project driven by the Department of Innovation and Tourism Industry Development under Minister Kate Jones.

SECOND CASINO CALL SOON, PALASZCZUK GOVERNMENT SAYS

Leader of the LNP State Opposition, Deb Frecklington, at Southport. Picture Glenn Hampson

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington told the Bulletin yesterday: “For more than two years Labor has secretly shopped a second casino licence around without any community consultation.

“What (Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk is proposing may potentially bring thousands of new pokies to the Gold Coast.

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“It’s outrageous that Labor believe they can make backroom deals while hiding all details from the public.”

Ms Frecklington said the Government needed to stop treating Gold Coasters like second class citizens and immediately release the secret list of 11 sites.

DOES COAST NEED OR WANT A SECOND CASINO?

Eddy Sarroff and residents who are against the casino being developed in Southport. Photo: Steve Holland

“From day dot, Annastacia Palaszczuk has treated this process like a chook raffle. The Premier would have done a lot better to meet with Gold Coast residents to see what they wanted before starting this shambolic process.

“The Palaszczuk Labor Government need to understand that good economic management is more than media opportunities.”

But Ms Jones hit back and said the LNP was “completely divided” when it comes to a Global Tourism Hub.

“Deb Frecklington told the Gold Coast Bulletin last year that she was supportive of the project,” she said.

INSIDE GLOBAL TOURISM HUB PLANNED FOR COAST

Aerial view of Carey Park at Southport, an area proposed for a new Casino for the Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The Member for Southport has been openly arguing against a Global Tourism Hub.

“The Member for Mermaid Beach is the biggest hypocrite of the lot. He supported an increase to the number of pokies on the Gold Coast in 2010 but now he says we need a Global Tourism Hub ‘like an alcoholic needs another brand of whiskey’.

Former councillor Eddy Sarroff, who has organised protests against a second casino, supported the call for all potential sites to be made public.

Mr Sarroff, who lives at Southport, met with other concerned residents after reading the latest report in the Bulletin.

Protest organiser Eddy Sarroff . Picture Mike Batterham

“They want to find out is it on or off. The council has been dishonest by flicking this decision to the State Government,” Mr Sarroff said.

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A recommendation by council officers backed by councillors said local government at this early stage would play no role in supporting or nominating a preferred site.

A majority of councillors in late 2017 supported a mayoral minute that opposed a casino at Carey Park, Southport.

But in a split vote late last year, a slim majority of councillors ruled against protecting public land from a casino development, leaving the door open to develop Carey Park.

“That’s why the residents are angry. All they got from council was lip service to those initial rallies,” Mr Sarroff said.