Robbie Cooke: Star Entertainment Group CEO opens up on tourism, casino inquiries and future of the Gold Coast
A year ago Star Entertainment Group made Robbie Cooke its new boss, as it faced inquiries, two $100m fines and a battle show it was fit to holding a gaming licence. READ HIS UNCUT Q&A
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It has been a year since the Star Entertainment Group CEO Robbie Cooke joined the embattled casino and entertainment giant, which had faced inquiries in NSW and Queensland, was hit with nine-figure fines in both states and appointed him to focus on proving it was fit to hold a gaming licence. He opens up on his progress trying to turn the company around, the future of the tourism sector, why Star is selling off many assets and what will come next for the Broadbeach Island which has a state-approved $2 billion construction masterplan.
GOLD COAST BULLETIN: It is almost a year to the day since you took the Star Entertainment Group CEO role – with a self-described mission to earn back the nation’s trust after failings highlighted by the casino inquiries. What changes have you made in 12 months?
ROBBIE COOKE: It’s certainly been a challenging year, but we are working very hard to earn back that trust and build a better, brighter future for The Star.
We have refreshed our senior leadership team and more than quadrupled both our harm minimisation and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) teams. We are working openly and transparently with our regulators.
We have a new board which has brought more gaming experience and is focused on resetting behaviours and ways of operation.
We have undergone an organisational restructure.
We have submitted an extensive Remediation Plan with our regulators and are awaiting approval.
And just in the last few weeks, with input from some of our 8000-strong team members, we have released our new Purpose, Values and Principles that reflect our commitment to being a better company and operating with the highest levels of integrity in all that we do.
GCB: Star is selling a lot – the Sheraton, its superyacht, The Star Treasury buildings up in Brisbane – why? All prompted by the casino inquiry $100 million fines, NSW tax hikes on gaming?
RC: Our focus and priorities have changed so some of these assets were no longer required. In this regard the Treasury Brisbane buildings and car park are not required given the Queen’s Wharf development opening in 2024, so we’re testing the market for interest in those assets. They’re for sale in one line or individually via Expressions of Interest.
GCB:Some big changes at the Star Gold Coast island site – number one, Jess Mellor elevated to CEO. What prompted the change in her title and what impact will that have?
RC: The organisational restructure is designed to simplify our structure and provide clearer operational accountability at The Star’s three entertainment and gaming destinations.
I’m delighted Jess accepted the promotion to Gold Coast CEO and it means she will have greater responsibility and decision-making power here on the Gold Coast.
Jess has led the team at The Star Gold Coast over the past four years through some incredibly challenging times, including Covid, and has continually delivered results by offering world-class tourism and entertainment experiences.
GCB: Conversely, how have the staff cuts across the group impacted the Gold Coast operation?
RC: Most of the workforce reductions involved our corporate team and Sydney operations. Approximately 500 of our colleagues left The Star, and I won’t lie. It was an experience I consider one of the most painful of my career.
GCB: Tourism particularly international numbers are still in recovery mode but your onsite bookings are strong – how do you gauge the future outlook for tourism growth as we continue to rebuild the international markets post-Covid?
RC: Looking down the runway to the 2032 Games, it’s very bright. It was great to see China Eastern Airline return with direct flights to Queensland and just last week a new visa deal to encourage more Chinese visitors to Australia was announced.
The events industry has rebounded strongly from the pandemic, but there continues to be residual challenges for the tourism sector.
Pleasingly, there is strong demand for travel despite cost-of-living pressures and people are still looking for ways to budget for a holiday. New figures just out showed the Gold Coast was the number one destination for Australians travelling interstate for the recent Spring school holidays and we are optimistic that the Christmas period will be as strong as it has been in the past for us.
GCB:How important is more high-end hotel product for the Gold Coast, in the league of The Darling, the Langham Gold Coast, your new addition the Dorsett – and what does that do for the magnetism of the tourism capital?
RC: To keep the Gold Coast top of mind as a world-class tourism and entertainment destination, continual investment is needed to expand and refresh the accommodation offerings on the GC. That’s not just here at The Star, it’s across the entire tourism sector.
As a city we want people to visit, have a great experience, come back to try something new and then come back again and again.
GCB:What is the latest regarding progress towards the $2b masterplan at the Broadbeach island?
RC: It’s exciting to see the masterplan coming to life.
The first tower which houses the Dorsett hotel, and our first residential apartments on the island, is very popular.
Tower two is soaring.
We have just poured level 38 and are rising approximately one level a week and on track for an end-of-2024 completion.
All 437 one, two and three-bedroom residential apartments in the tower have been sold.
The internal fit out work is progressing well on the new five-star hotel, which sits above the six-level podium you can see from the Gold Coast Highway.
That will connect directly to The Star Gold Coast’s other resort offerings via a continuation of the ground level boardwalk, a level three retail promenade and the recreation deck.
By the time this new tower is complete we will have almost as many hotel rooms as Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
GCB:It’sgenerally acknowledged the Gold Coast is missing out on conference and convention business because our Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is undersized (Cairns has a bigger one). What is your view of a push to expand the state asset – and would Star ever consider going further than just managing the facility to contribute to that?
RC: As you say it is a state government asset and it would be presumptuous to advise about its use.
We have been proud to run and manage GCEC for close on 20 years and hope to do so into the future.
GCB: One year on – glad you took on the role? Why?
RC: Absolutely, I took on this role just over 12 months ago because I was truly excited about the long-term opportunities for the business, and I remain passionate and excited.
We have three entertainment and gaming destinations in arguably Australia’s best locations – Sydney, Brisbane and here on the Gold Coast.
There’s over $6b of investment completed, underway, or in planning across South East Queensland. Along with Tower two here at The Star Gold Coast we have The Star Brisbane set to open in 2024 as part of the $3.6b Queen’s Wharf precinct which a city changing development.
So, there’s a lot to look forward to as we work to be the better, stronger and more sustainable company we are committed to becoming.
GCB: How exciting is the momentum of the movie industry and potential for growth on the Gold Coast from Star’s point of view, given the profile we get from it, no doubt Star sees itself as a key industry partner to the glitzy film industry?
RC: That’s one of the exciting opportunities into the future.
It’s not just the incredible Australian film industry talent either. It’s been great to see how many Hollywood stars, productions and movie-makers have been coming to the Gold Coast to take advantage of the facilities and, of course, the weather.
They all need somewhere to sleep, shop, eat and take time out so there is great potential for many of the city’s businesses, including The Star.
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